This is ../../info/mh-e, produced by makeinfo version 4.13 from
mh-e.texi.

This is version 8.3 of `The MH-E Manual', last updated 2011-09-20.

   Copyright (C) 1995, 2001-2003, 2005-2012  Free Software Foundation,
Inc.

     Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
     document under the terms of either:

       a. the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later
          version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
          Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being "A GNU
          Manual," and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A
          copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
          Free Documentation License."

          (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: "You have the freedom to
          copy and modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF
          supports it in developing GNU and promoting software freedom."

       b. the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
          Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option)
          any later version. A copy of the license is included in the
          section entitled "GNU General Public License."


INFO-DIR-SECTION Emacs network features
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* MH-E: (mh-e).                 Emacs interface to the MH mail system.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY


File: mh-e,  Node: Top,  Next: Preface,  Prev: (dir),  Up: (dir)

The MH-E Manual
***************

This is version 8.3 of `The MH-E Manual', last updated 2011-09-20.

   Copyright (C) 1995, 2001-2003, 2005-2012  Free Software Foundation,
Inc.

     Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this
     document under the terms of either:

       a. the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later
          version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
          Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being "A GNU
          Manual," and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A
          copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
          Free Documentation License."

          (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: "You have the freedom to
          copy and modify this GNU manual. Buying copies from the FSF
          supports it in developing GNU and promoting software freedom."

       b. the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
          Software Foundation; either version 3, or (at your option)
          any later version. A copy of the license is included in the
          section entitled "GNU General Public License."


* Menu:

* Preface::                     Preface
* Conventions::                 GNU Emacs Terms and Conventions
* Getting Started::             Getting Started
* Tour Through MH-E::           Tour Through MH-E
* Using This Manual::           Using This Manual
* Incorporating Mail::          Incorporating Mail
* Reading Mail::                Reading Mail
* Folders::                     Organizing Your Mail with Folders
* Sending Mail::                Sending Mail
* Editing Drafts::              Editing a Draft
* Aliases::                     Aliases
* Identities::                  Identities
* Speedbar::                    The Speedbar
* Menu Bar::                    The Menu Bar
* Tool Bar::                    The Tool Bar
* Searching::                   Searching Through Messages
* Threading::                   Viewing Message Threads
* Limits::                      Limiting Display
* Sequences::                   Using Sequences
* Junk::                        Dealing With Junk Mail
* Miscellaneous::               Miscellaneous Commands, Variables, and Buffers
* Scan Line Formats::           Scan Line Formats
* Procmail::                    Reading Mailing Lists Effectively
* Odds and Ends::               Odds and Ends
* History::                     History of MH-E
* GFDL::                        GNU Free Documentation License
* GPL::                         GNU General Public License
* Key Index::                   Key (Character) Index
* Command Index::               Command Index
* Option Index::                Option (Variable) Index
* Concept Index::               Concept Index

 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---

Tour Through MH-E

* Sending Mail Tour::
* Reading Mail Tour::
* Processing Mail Tour::
* Leaving MH-E::
* More About MH-E::

Using This Manual

* Options::
* Ranges::
* Folder Selection::

Reading Your Mail

* Viewing::
* Viewing Attachments::
* HTML::
* Digests::
* Reading PGP::
* Printing::
* Files and Pipes::
* Navigating::
* Miscellaneous Commands and Options::

Sending Mail

* Composing::
* Replying::
* Forwarding::
* Redistributing::
* Editing Again::

Editing a Draft

* Editing Message::
* Inserting Letter::
* Inserting Messages::
* Signature::
* Picture::
* Adding Attachments::
* Sending PGP::
* Checking Recipients::
* Sending Message::
* Killing Draft::

Odds and Ends

* Bug Reports::
* Mailing Lists::
* MH FAQ and Support::
* Getting MH-E::

History of MH-E

* From Brian Reid::
* From Jim Larus::
* From Stephen Gildea::
* From Bill Wohler::


File: mh-e,  Node: Preface,  Next: Conventions,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

Preface
*******

This manual introduces another interface to the MH mail system that is
accessible through the GNU Emacs editor, namely, _MH-E_. MH-E is easy
to use. I don't assume that you know GNU Emacs or even MH at this
point, since I didn't know either of them when I discovered MH-E.
However, MH-E was the tip of the iceberg, and I discovered more and
more niceties about GNU Emacs and MH. Now I'm fully hooked on both of
them.

   The MH-E package is distributed with Emacs(1), so you shouldn't have
to do anything special to use it. Gnus is also required; version 5.10
or higher is recommended. This manual covers MH-E version 8.3. To help
you decide which version you have, see *note Getting Started::.

   If you don't already use GNU Emacs but want to learn more, you can
read an online tutorial by starting GNU Emacs and typing `C-h t'
(`help-with-tutorial'). (To learn about this notation, see *note
Conventions::.) If you want to take the plunge, consult the *note GNU
Emacs Manual: (emacs)top, from the Free Software Foundation.

   If more information is needed, you can go to the Unix manual pages of
the individual MH commands. When the name is not obvious, I'll guide
you to a relevant MH manual page that describes the action more fully.

   This manual is available in both Info and online formats. The Info
version is distributed with Emacs and can be accessed with the `info'
command (`info mh-e') or within Emacs (`C-h i m mh-e <RET>'). The
online version is available at SourceForge
(http://mh-e.sourceforge.net/manual/). Another great online resource is
the book `MH & nmh: Email for Users & Programmers'
(http://www.ics.uci.edu/~mh/book/) (also known as "the MH book").

   I hope you enjoy this manual! If you have any comments, or
suggestions for this document, please let me know.

Bill Wohler <wohler at newt.com>
8 February 1995
24 February 2006

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) Version 8.3 of MH-E appeared in Emacs 24.1. It is supported in
GNU Emacs 23 and higher, as well as XEmacs 21.4.22 and 21.5.31. MH-E is
known not to work with GNU Emacs versions 20 and below, and XEmacs
version 21.5.9 - 21.5.16. It is compatible with MH versions 6.8.4 and
higher, all versions of nmh, and GNU mailutils 1.0 and higher


File: mh-e,  Node: Conventions,  Next: Getting Started,  Prev: Preface,  Up: Top

1 GNU Emacs Terms and Conventions
*********************************

If you're an experienced Emacs user, you can skip the following
conventions and definition of terms and go directly to the next section
(*note Getting Started::).

   In general, "functions" in this text refer to Emacs Lisp functions
that one would call from within Emacs Lisp programs (for example,
`(mh-inc-folder)'). On the other hand, "commands" are those things that
are run by the user, such as `i' or `M-x mh-inc-folder'. Programs
outside of Emacs are specifically called MH commands, shell commands,
or Unix commands.

   The conventions for key names are as follows:

`C-x'
     Hold down the <CTRL> (Control) key and press the `x' key.

`M-x'
     Hold down the <META> or <ALT> key and press the `x' key.

     Since some keyboards don't have a <META> key, you can generate
     `M-x', for example, by pressing <ESC> (Escape), _releasing it_,
     and then pressing the `x' key.

`<RET>'
     Press the <RETURN> or <ENTER> key. This is normally used to
     complete a command.

`<SPC>'
     Press the space bar.

`<TAB>'
     Press the <TAB> key.

`<DEL>'
     Press the <DELETE> key.

`<BS>'
     Press the <BACKSPACE> key(1).

   A "prefix argument" allows you to pass an argument to any Emacs
function. To pass an argument, type `C-u' before the Emacs command or
keystroke. Numeric arguments can be passed as well. For example, to
insert five f's, use `C-u 5 f'. There is a default of four when using
`C-u', and you can use multiple prefix arguments to provide arguments
of powers of four. To continue our example, you could insert four f's
with `C-u f', 16 f's with `C-u C-u f', 64 f's with `C-u C-u C-u f', and
so on. Numeric and valueless negative arguments can also be inserted
with the <META> key. Examples include `M-5' to specify an argument of
5, or `M--' which specifies a negative argument with no particular
value.


                                *NOTE*

     The prefix `C-u' or `M-' is not necessary in MH-E's MH-Folder mode
     (*note Reading Mail Tour::). In this mode, simply enter the
     numerical argument before entering the command.


   Emacs uses "variables" to hold values. These can be changed via
calls to the function `setq' in `~/.emacs'.

   Variables in MH-E that are normally modified by the user are called
"options" and are modified through the customize functions (such as
`M-x customize-option' or `M-x customize-group').  *Note Easy
Customization: (emacs)Easy Customization, in `The GNU Emacs Manual'.
*Note Options::.

   You can specify various styles for displaying text using "faces".
MH-E provides a set of faces that you can use to personalize the look
of your MH-E buffers. Use the command `M-x customize-face' to do this.
*Note Face Customization: (emacs)Face Customization, in `The GNU Emacs
Manual'.

   Commands often offer "hooks" which enable you to extend or modify
the way a command works.  *note Hooks: (emacs)Hooks, in `The GNU Emacs
Manual' for a description about "normal hooks" and "abnormal hooks".
MH-E uses normal hooks in nearly all cases, so you can assume that we
are talking about normal hooks unless we explicitly mention that a hook
is abnormal. We also follow the conventions described in that section:
the name of the abnormal hooks end in `-hooks' and all the rest of the
MH-E hooks end in `-hook'. You can add hooks with either
`customize-option' or `add-hook'.

   There are several other terms that are used in Emacs that you should
know. The "point" is where the cursor currently is. You can save your
current place in the file by setting a "mark". This operation is useful
in several ways. The mark can be later used when defining a "region",
which is the text between the point and mark. Many commands operate on
regions, such as those for deleting text or filling paragraphs. A mark
can be set with `C-@' (or `C-<SPC>').

   The "minibuffer" is the bottom line of the Emacs window, where all
prompting and multiple-character input is directed. You can use
"completion" to enter values such as folders. Completion means that
Emacs fills in text for you when you type <SPC> or <TAB>.  A second
<SPC> or <TAB> will list all possibilities at that point.  *Note
Completion: (emacs)Completion.  Note that <SPC> cannot be used for
completing filenames and folders.

   The minibuffer is also where you enter Emacs function names after
typing `M-x'. For example, in the preface, I mentioned that you could
obtain help with `C-h t' (`help-with-tutorial'). What this means is
that you can get a tutorial by typing either `C-h t' or `M-x
help-with-tutorial'. In the latter case, you are prompted for
`help-with-tutorial' in the minibuffer after typing `M-x'.

   The `~' notation in filenames represents your home directory.  This
notation is used by many shells including `bash', `tcsh', and `csh'. It
is analogous to the environment variable `$HOME'. For example,
`~/.emacs' can be written `$HOME/.emacs' or using the absolute path as
in `/home/wohler/.emacs' instead.

   In case of trouble: Emacs can be interrupted at any time with `C-g'.
For example, if you've started a command that requests that you enter
something in the minibuffer, but then you change your mind, type `C-g'
and you'll be back where you started. If you want to exit Emacs
entirely, use `C-x C-c'.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) If you are using Version 20 or earlier of Emacs, you will need
to use the <DEL> key.


File: mh-e,  Node: Getting Started,  Next: Tour Through MH-E,  Prev: Conventions,  Up: Top

2 Getting Started
*****************

Because there are many old versions of MH-E out there, it is important
to know which version you have. I'll be talking about Version 8 which
is pretty close to Version 6 and Version 7. It differs from Version 4
and Version 5 and is vastly different from Version 3. *Note History::.

   To determine which version of MH-E that you have, enter `M-x
mh-version <RET>'. Hopefully it says that you're running Version 8.3
which is the latest version as of this printing.

   If your version is much older than this, please consider upgrading.
You can have your system administrator upgrade the system-wide version,
or you can install your own personal version. It's really quite easy.
*Note Getting MH-E::, for instructions for getting and installing MH-E.

   If the `mh-version' command displays `No MH variant detected'(1),
then you need to install MH or tell MH-E where to find MH.

   If you don't have MH on your system already, you must install a
variant of MH. The Debian mh-e package does this for you automatically
(*note Getting MH-E::). Most people use nmh
(http://www.nongnu.org/nmh/), but you may be interested in trying out
GNU mailutils MH (http://www.gnu.org/software/mailutils/), which
supports IMAP. Your GNU/Linux distribution probably has packages for
both of these.

   If you've never run MH before, you need to run `install-mh' from the
shell before you continue. This sets up your personal MH
environment(2). If you don't, you'll be greeted with the error message:
`Install MH and run install-mh before running MH-E'. This is all you
need to know about MH to use MH-E, but the more you know about MH, the
more you can leverage its power. See the MH book
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/../) to learn more about MH.

   Your MH environment includes your "MH profile" which is found in the
file `~/.mh_profile', or the file named in the environment variable
`$MH'. This file contains a number of "MH profile components". For
example, the `Path:' MH profile component contains the path to your
mail directory, which is `~/Mail' by default.

   There are several options MH-E uses to interact with your MH
installation. The option `mh-variant' specifies the variant used by
MH-E (*note Options::). The default setting of this option is
`Auto-detect' which means that MH-E will automatically choose the first
of nmh, MH, or GNU mailutils MH that it finds in the directories listed
in `mh-path' (which you can customize), `mh-sys-path', and `exec-path'.
If MH-E can't find MH at all, you may have to customize `mh-path' and
add the directory in which the command `mhparam' is located. If, on the
other hand, you have both nmh and GNU mailutils MH installed (for
example) and `mh-variant-in-use' was initialized to nmh but you want to
use GNU mailutils MH, then you can set `mh-variant' to `gnu-mh'.

   When `mh-variant' is changed, MH-E resets `mh-progs', `mh-lib',
`mh-lib-progs', `mh-flists-present-flag', and `mh-variant-in-use'
accordingly.


                                *NOTE*

     Prior to version 8, it was often necessary to set some of these
     variables in `~/.emacs'; now it is no longer necessary and can
     actually cause problems.


   In addition to setting variables that point to MH itself, MH-E also
sets a handful of variables that point to where you keep your mail.
During initialization, the function `mh-find-path' sets `mh-user-path'
from your `Path:' MH profile component (but defaults to `Mail' if one
isn't present), `mh-draft-folder' from `Draft-Folder:', `mh-unseen-seq'
from `Unseen-Sequence:', `mh-previous-seq' from `Previous-Sequence:',
and `mh-inbox' from `Inbox:' (defaults to `+inbox'). The hook
`mh-find-path-hook' is run after these variables have been set. This
hook can be used the change the value of these variables if you need to
run with different values between MH and MH-E.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) In very old versions of MH-E, you may get the error message,
`Cannot find the commands `inc' and `mhl' and the file `components'' if
MH-E can't find MH. In this case, you need to update MH-E, and you may
need to install MH too. However, newer versions of MH-E are better at
finding MH if it is on your system.

   (2) See the section Setting Up MH
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/../overall/setup.html) in the
MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Tour Through MH-E,  Next: Using This Manual,  Prev: Getting Started,  Up: Top

3 Tour Through MH-E
*******************

This chapter introduces some of the terms you'll need to know and then
takes you on a tour of MH-E(1). When you're done, you'll be able to
send, read, and file mail, which is all that a lot of people ever do.
But if you're the curious or adventurous type, read the rest of the
manual to be able to use all the features of MH-E. I suggest you read
this chapter first to get the big picture, and then you can read the
manual as you wish.

* Menu:

* Sending Mail Tour::
* Reading Mail Tour::
* Processing Mail Tour::
* Leaving MH-E::
* More About MH-E::

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) The keys mentioned in these chapters refer to the default key
bindings. If you've changed the bindings, refer to the command
summaries at the beginning of each chapter for a mapping between
default key bindings and function names.


File: mh-e,  Node: Sending Mail Tour,  Next: Reading Mail Tour,  Prev: Tour Through MH-E,  Up: Tour Through MH-E

3.1 Sending Mail
================

Let's start our tour by sending ourselves a message which we can later
read and process. Enter `M-x mh-smail' to invoke the MH-E program to
send messages. Your message appears in an Emacs buffer whose mode(1) is
MH-Letter.

   Enter your login name in the `To:' header field. Press the <TAB>
twice to move the cursor past the `Cc:' field, since no carbon copies
are to be sent, and on to the `Subject:' field.  Enter `Test' or
anything else that comes to mind.

   Press <TAB> again to move the cursor to the body of the message.
Enter some text, using normal Emacs commands. You should now have
something like this(2):







     --:--  *scratch*   All L1     (Lisp Interaction)-------------------------
     To: wohler
     cc:
     Subject: Test
     X-Mailer: MH-E 8.1; nmh 1.1; GNU Emacs 23.1
     --------
     This is a test message to get the wheels churning...#


     --:**  {draft}   All L5     (MH-Letter)----------------------------------
     Type C-c C-c to send message, C-C ? for help
MH-E message composition window

   Note the line of dashes that separates the header and the body of the
message. It is essential that these dashes (or a blank line) are
present or the body of your message will be considered to be part of
the header.

   There are several commands specific to MH-Letter mode(3), but at
this time we'll only use `C-c C-c' to send your message. Type `C-c C-c'
now. That's all there is to it!

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) A "mode" changes Emacs to make it easier to edit a particular
type of text.

   (2) If you're running Emacs under the X Window System, then you
would also see a menu bar and a tool bar. I've left out the menu bar
and tool bar in all of the example screens.

   (3) You can get quick help for the commands used most often with
`C-c ?' or more complete help with the `C-h m' (`describe-mode')
command.


File: mh-e,  Node: Reading Mail Tour,  Next: Processing Mail Tour,  Prev: Sending Mail Tour,  Up: Tour Through MH-E

3.2 Receiving Mail
==================

To read the mail you've just sent yourself, enter `M-x mh-rmail'.  This
incorporates the new mail and puts the output from `inc'(1) (called
"scan lines" after the MH program `scan'(2) which prints a one-line
summary of each message) into a buffer called `+inbox' whose major mode
is MH-Folder.


                                *NOTE*

     The `M-x mh-rmail' command will show you only new mail, not mail
     you have already read. If you were to run this tour again, you
     would use `F r' to pull all your messages into MH-E.


   You should see the scan line for your message, and perhaps others.
Use `n' or `p' to move the cursor to your test message and type <RET>
to read your message. You should see something like:

       3 t08/24 root       received fax files on Wed Aug 24 11:00:13 PDT 1
     # 4+t08/24 To:wohler  Test<<This is a test message to get the wheels

     -:%%  {+inbox/select} 4 msgs (1-4)   Bot L4     (MH-Folder Show)---------
     To: wohler
     Subject: Test
     X-Mailer: MH-E 8.1; nmh 1.1; GNU Emacs 23.1
     Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 10:49:11 -0800
     From: Bill Wohler <wohler@stop.mail-abuse.org>

     This is a test message to get the wheels churning...



     --:--  {show-+inbox} 4   All L1     (MH-Show)----------------------------
After incorporating new messages

   If you typed a long message, you can view subsequent pages with
<SPC> and previous pages with <DEL>.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Reading Mail: inc show next prev
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/reapre.html) in the MH book.

   (2) See the section Find and Specify with scan pick Ranges Sequences
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/faswsprs.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Processing Mail Tour,  Next: Leaving MH-E,  Prev: Reading Mail Tour,  Up: Tour Through MH-E

3.3 Processing Mail
===================

The first thing we want to do is reply to the message that we sent
ourselves. Ensure that the cursor is still on the same line as your
test message and type `r'. You are prompted in the minibuffer with
`Reply to whom:'. Here MH-E is asking whether you'd like to reply to
the original sender only, to the sender and primary recipients, or to
the sender and all recipients. You can press <TAB> to see these
choices. If you simply press <RET>, you'll reply only to the sender.
Press <RET> now.

   You'll find yourself in an Emacs buffer similar to that when you were
sending the original message, like this:

     To:
     cc:
     Subject: Re: Test
     In-reply-to: <31054.1142621351@stop.mail-abuse.org>
     References: <31054.1142621351@stop.mail-abuse.org>
     Comments: In-reply-to Bill Wohler <wohler@stop.mail-abuse.org>
        message dated "Fri, 17 Mar 2006 10:49:11 -0800."
     X-Mailer: MH-E 8.1; nmh 1.1; GNU Emacs 23.1
     --------
     #

     --:--  {draft}  All L10     (MH-Letter)----------------------------------
     To: wohler
     Subject: Test
     X-Mailer: MH-E 8.1; nmh 1.1; GNU Emacs 23.1
     Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 10:49:11 -0800
     From: Bill Wohler <wohler@stop.mail-abuse.org>

     This is a test message to get the wheels churning...

     --:--  {show-+inbox} 4   All L1     (MH-Show)----------------------------
     Type C-c C-c to send message, C-c ? for help
Composition window during reply

   By default, MH will not add you to the address list of your replies,
so if you find that the `To:' header field is missing, don't worry. In
this case, type `C-c C-f C-t' to create and go to the `To:' field,
where you can type your login name again. You can move around with the
arrow keys or with `C-p' (`previous-line'), `C-n' (`next-line'), `C-b'
(`backward-char'), and `C-f' (`forward-char') and can delete the
previous character with <BS>. When you're finished editing your
message, send it with `C-c C-c' as before.

   You'll often want to save messages that were sent to you in an
organized fashion. This is done with "folders". You can use folders to
keep messages from your friends, or messages related to a particular
topic. With your cursor in the MH-Folder buffer and positioned on the
message you sent to yourself, type `o' to output (`refile' in MH
parlance) that message to a folder. Enter `test' at the `Destination
folder:' prompt and type `y' (or <SPC>) when MH-E asks to create the
folder `+test'. Note that a `^' (caret) appears next to the message
number, which means that the message has been marked for refiling but
has not yet been refiled. We'll talk about how the refile is actually
carried out in a moment.

   Your previous reply is now waiting in the system mailbox. You
incorporate this mail into your MH-Folder buffer named `+inbox' with
the `i' command. Do this now. After the mail is incorporated, use `n'
or `p' to move the cursor to the new message, and read it with <RET>.
Let's delete this message by typing `d'. Note that a `D' appears next
to the message number. This means that the message is marked for
deletion but is not yet deleted. To perform the deletion (and the
refile we did previously), use the `x' command.

   If you want to send another message you can use `m' instead of `M-x
mh-smail'. So go ahead, send some mail to your friends!

   You can get a quick reminder about these commands by typing `?'.
This lists several "prefix characters". To list the commands available
via the prefix characters, type the prefix character followed by a `?',
for example, `F ?'. More complete help is available with the `C-h m'
(`describe-mode') command.


File: mh-e,  Node: Leaving MH-E,  Next: More About MH-E,  Prev: Processing Mail Tour,  Up: Tour Through MH-E

3.4 Leaving MH-E
================

You may now wish to exit `emacs' entirely. Use `C-x C-c' to exit
`emacs'. If you exited without running `x' in the `+inbox' buffer,
Emacs will offer to save it for you. Type `y' or <SPC> to save `+inbox'
changes, which means to perform any refiles and deletes that you did
there.

   If you don't want to leave Emacs, you can type `q' to bury (hide)
the MH-E folder or delete it entirely with `C-x k'. You can then later
recall it with `C-x b' or `M-x mh-rmail'.

   On the other hand, if you no longer want to use MH and MH-E, you can
take your mail with you. You can copy all of your mail into a single
file, mbox-style, by using the MH command `packf'. For example, to
create a file called `msgbox' with the messages in your `+inbox'
folder, use `packf +inbox'. The `packf' command will append the
messages to the file if it already exists, so you can use `folders
-recurse -fast' in a script to copy all of your messages into a single
file, or using the `-file' argument, a file for each folder.


File: mh-e,  Node: More About MH-E,  Prev: Leaving MH-E,  Up: Tour Through MH-E

3.5 More About MH-E
===================

These are the basic commands to get you going, but there are plenty
more. If you think that MH-E is for you, read the rest of the manual to
find out how you can:

   * Print your messages (*note Printing::).

   * Edit messages and include your signature (*note Editing Drafts::).

   * Forward messages (*note Forwarding::).

   * Read digests (*note Digests::).

   * Edit bounced messages (*note Editing Again::).

   * Send multimedia messages (*note Adding Attachments::).

   * Read HTML messages (*note HTML::).

   * Use aliases and identities (see *note Aliases::, *note
     Identities::).

   * Create different views of your mail (see *note Threading::, *note
     Limits::).

   * Deal with junk mail (*note Junk::).

   * Handle signed and encrypted messages (see *note Reading PGP::,
     *note Sending PGP::).

   * Process mail that was sent with `shar' or `uuencode' (*note Files
     and Pipes::).

   * Use sequences conveniently (*note Sequences::).

   * Use the speedbar, tool bar, and menu bar (see *note Speedbar::,
     see *note Tool Bar::, *note Menu Bar::).

   * Show header fields in different fonts (*note Reading Mail::).

   * Find previously refiled messages (*note Searching::).

   * Place messages in a file (*note Files and Pipes::).

   Remember that you can also use MH commands when you're not running
MH-E (and when you are!).


File: mh-e,  Node: Using This Manual,  Next: Incorporating Mail,  Prev: Tour Through MH-E,  Up: Top

4 Using This Manual
*******************

This chapter begins the meat of the manual which goes into more detail
about every MH-E command and option.

   There are many commands, but don't get intimidated. There are command
summaries at the beginning of each chapter. In case you have or would
like to rebind the keys, the command summaries also list the associated
Emacs Lisp function. Furthermore, even if you're stranded on a desert
island with a laptop and are without your manuals, you can get a
summary of all these commands with GNU Emacs online help: use `C-h m'
(`describe-mode') for a brief summary of commands, `?' (`mh-help') for
an even briefer summary(1) (`C-c ?' in MH-Letter mode), or `C-h i' to
read this manual via Info. The online help is quite good; try running
`C-h C-h'. This brings up a list of available help topics, one of which
displays the documentation for a given key (like `C-h k C-n'). Another
useful help feature is to view the manual section that describes a
given key (such as `C-h K i'). In addition, review *note Conventions::,
if any of the GNU Emacs conventions are strange to you.

   In addition to all of the commands, it is also possible to
reconfigure MH-E to fit the needs of even the most demanding user. The
following chapters also describe all of the options, show the defaults,
and make recommendations for customization.

   However, when customizing your mail environment, first try to change
what you want in MH, and only change MH-E if changing MH is not
possible. That way you will get the same behavior inside and outside
GNU Emacs. Note that MH-E does not provide hooks for customizations
that can be done in MH; this omission is intentional.

   I hope I've included enough examples here to get you well on your
way.  If you want to explore Emacs Lisp further, a programming manual
does exist, (2) and you can look at the code itself for examples. Look
in the Emacs Lisp directory on your system (such as
`/usr/local/lib/emacs/lisp/mh-e') and find all the `mh-*.el' files
there. When calling MH-E and other Emacs Lisp functions directly from
Emacs Lisp code, you'll need to know the correct arguments. Use the
online help for this. For example, try `C-h f mh-execute-commands
<RET>'. If you write your own functions, please do not prefix your
symbols (variables and functions) with `mh-'. This prefix is reserved
for the MH-E package. To avoid conflicts with existing MH-E symbols,
use a prefix like `my-' or your initials. (Unless, of course, your
initials happen to be _mh_!)

* Menu:

* Options::
* Ranges::
* Folder Selection::

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) This help appears in a buffer called `*MH-E Help*' (*note
Miscellaneous::).

   (2) *Note The GNU Emacs Lisp Reference Manual: (elisp)Top, which may
be available online in the Info system. It is also available online at
`http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/elisp-manual/html_node/'. You can
also order a printed manual, which has the desirable side-effect of
helping to support the Free Software Foundation which made all this
great software available. You can find an order form by running `C-h
C-d', or you can request an order form from gnu at gnu.org.


File: mh-e,  Node: Options,  Next: Ranges,  Prev: Using This Manual,  Up: Using This Manual

4.1 Options
===========

Many string or integer options are easy to modify using `M-x
customize-option'. For example, to modify the option that controls
printing, you would run `M-x customize-option <RET>
mh-lpr-command-format <RET>'. In the buffer that appears, modify the
string to the right of the variable. For example, you may change the
`lpr' command with `nenscript -G -r -2 -i'%s''. Then use the `State'
combo box and select `Save for Future Sessions'. To read more about
`mh-lpr-command-format', see *note Printing::.

   Options can also hold boolean values. In Emacs Lisp, the boolean
values are `nil', which means false, and `t', which means true. The
`customize-option' function makes it easy to change boolean values;
simply click on the toggle button in the customize buffer to switch
between `on' (`t') and `off' (`nil'). For example, try setting
`mh-bury-show-buffer-flag' to `off' to keep the MH-Show buffer at the
top of the buffer stack. Use the `State' combo box and choose `Set for
Current Session' to see how the option affects the show buffer. Then
choose the `Erase Customization' menu item to reset the option to the
default, which places the MH-Show buffer at the bottom of the buffer
stack.

   The text usually says to turn on an option by setting it to a
_non-`nil'_ value, because sometimes values other than `on' are
meaningful. An example of this is the variable `mh-mhl-format-file'
(*note Viewing::). Other options, such as hooks, involve a little more
Emacs Lisp programming expertise.

   You can browse all of the MH-E options with the `customize-group'
function. Try entering `M-x customize-group <RET> mh <RET>' to view the
top-level options as well as buttons for all of the MH-E customization
groups. Another way to view the MH-E customization group is to use `M-x
mh-customize <RET>'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Ranges,  Next: Folder Selection,  Prev: Options,  Up: Using This Manual

4.2 Ranges
==========

Many commands that operate on individual messages, such as `mh-forward'
or `mh-refile-msg' take a `RANGE' argument. This argument can be used
in several ways.

   If you provide the prefix argument `C-u' to these commands, then you
will be prompted for the message range. This can be any valid MH range
which can include messages, sequences (*note Sequences::), and the
abbreviations (described in the `mh'(1) man page):

`<num1>-<num2>'
     Indicates all messages in the range <num1> to <num2>, inclusive.
     The range must be nonempty.

`<num>:N'
`<num>:+N'
`<num>:-N'
     Up to N messages beginning with (or ending with) message num. Num
     may be any of the predefined symbols: first, prev, cur, next or
     last.

`first:N'
`prev:N'
`next:N'
`last:N'
     The first, previous, next or last messages, if they exist.

`all'
     All of the messages.

   For example, a range that shows all of these things is `1 2 3 5-10
last:5 unseen'.

   If the option `transient-mark-mode' is turned on and you set a
region in the MH-Folder buffer, then the MH-E command will perform the
operation on all messages in that region.

   The `mh-range' customization group contains a single option which
affects how ranges are interpreted.

`mh-interpret-number-as-range-flag'
     On means interpret a number as a range (default: `on').

   Since one of the most frequent ranges used is `last:N', MH-E will
interpret input such as `200' as `last:200' if the
`mh-interpret-number-as-range-flag' option is on (which is the
default). If you need to scan just the message 200, then use the range
`200:1' or `200-200'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Folder Selection,  Prev: Ranges,  Up: Using This Manual

4.3 Folder Selection
====================

When you choose a folder in MH-E via a command such as `o'
(`mh-refile-msg'), completion is used to enter the folder (*note
Completion: (emacs)Completion.).  In addition, MH-E has several ways of
choosing a suitable default so that the folder can often be selected
with a single <RET> key.

   The `mh-folder-selection' customization group contains some options
which are used to help with this.

`mh-default-folder-for-message-function'
     Function to select a default folder for refiling or `Fcc:'
     (default: `nil').

`mh-default-folder-list'
     List of addresses and folders (default: `nil').

`mh-default-folder-must-exist-flag'
     On means guessed folder name must exist to be used (default: `on').

`mh-default-folder-prefix'
     Prefix used for folder names generated from aliases (default:
     `""').

   You can set the option `mh-default-folder-for-message-function' to a
function that provides a default folder for the message to be refiled.
When this function is called, the current buffer contains the message
being refiled and point is at the start of the message. This function
should return the default folder as a string with a leading `+' sign.
It can also return `nil' so that the last folder name is used as the
default, or an empty string to suppress the default entirely.

   Otherwise, the name of the destination folder is derived from the
sender as follows:

  1. The folder name associated with the first address found in the list
     `mh-default-folder-list' is used. Each element in this list
     contains a `Check Recipient' item. If this item is turned on, then
     the address is checked against the recipient instead of the
     sender. This is useful for mailing lists.  

  2. An alias prefixed by `mh-default-folder-prefix' corresponding to
     the address is used. The prefix is used to prevent clutter in your
     mail directory. *Note Aliases::.

   If the derived folder does not exist, and
`mh-default-folder-must-exist-flag' is `t', then the last folder name
used is suggested. This is useful if you get mail from various people
for whom you have an alias, but file them all in the same project
folder.


File: mh-e,  Node: Incorporating Mail,  Next: Reading Mail,  Prev: Using This Manual,  Up: Top

5 Incorporating Your Mail
*************************

This chapter talks about getting mail from your system mailbox into
your MH `+inbox' folder. The following command accomplishes that and is
found in the `Folder' menu.

`i'
     Incorporate new mail into a folder (`mh-inc-folder').

   The following options in the `mh-inc' customization group are used.

`mh-inc-prog'
     Program to incorporate mail (default: `"inc"').

`mh-inc-spool-list'
     Alternate spool files (default: `nil').

   The following hook is available.

`mh-inc-folder-hook'
     Hook run by `mh-inc-folder' after incorporating mail into a folder
     (default: `nil').

   If at any time you receive new mail, incorporate the new mail into
your `+inbox' buffer with `i' (`mh-inc-folder'). Note that `i' will
display the `+inbox' buffer, even if there isn't any new mail. You can
incorporate mail from any file into the current folder by specifying a
prefix argument; you'll be prompted for the name of the file to use as
well as the destination folder (for example, `C-u i ~/mbox <RET> +tmp
<RET>').

   Emacs can notify you when you have new mail by displaying `Mail' in
the mode line. To enable this behavior, and to have a clock in the mode
line as well, add the following to `~/.emacs':

     (display-time)

   The name of the program that incorporates new mail is stored in
`mh-inc-prog'; it is `"inc"' by default. This program generates a
one-line summary for each of the new messages. Unless it is an absolute
pathname, the file is assumed to be in the `mh-progs' directory (*note
Getting Started::). You may also link a file to `inc' that uses a
different format (see `mh-profile'(5), and sections Reading Mail: inc
show next prev (http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/reapre.html) and
MH Format Strings (http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/mhstr.html) in
the MH book). You'll then need to modify several variables
appropriately (*note Scan Line Formats::).

   You can use the `mh-inc-spool-list' variable to direct MH-E to
retrieve mail from arbitrary spool files other than your system
mailbox, file it in folders other than your `+inbox', and assign key
bindings to incorporate this mail.

   Suppose you are subscribed to the mh-e-devel mailing list and you
use `procmail' to filter this mail into `~/mail/mh-e' with the
following recipe in `.procmailrc':

     PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin/mh
     MAILDIR=$HOME/`mhparam Path`
     :0:
     * ^From mh-e-devel-admin@stop.mail-abuse.org
     mh-e

   In order to incorporate `~/mail/mh-e' into `+mh-e' with an `I m'
(`mh-inc-spool-mh-e') command, customize this option, and click on the
`INS' button. Enter a `Spool File' of `~/mail/mh-e', a `Folder' of
`mh-e', and a `Key Binding' of `m'.

   You can use `xbuffy' to automate the incorporation of this mail
using the Emacs 23 command `emacsclient' as follows:

     box ~/mail/mh-e
         title mh-e
         origMode
         polltime 10
         headertime 0
         command emacsclient --eval '(mh-inc-spool-mh-e)'

   In XEmacs, the command `gnuclient' is used in a similar fashion.

   You can set the hook `mh-inc-folder-hook', which is called after new
mail is incorporated by the `i' (`mh-inc-folder') command. A good use
of this hook is to rescan the whole folder either after running `M-x
mh-rmail' the first time or when you've changed the message numbers
from outside of MH-E.

     (defun my-mh-inc-folder-hook ()
       "Hook to rescan folder after incorporating mail."
       (if (buffer-modified-p)            ; if outstanding refiles and deletes,
           (mh-execute-commands))         ;   carry them out
       (mh-rescan-folder)                 ; synchronize with +inbox
       (mh-show))                         ; show the current message

     (add-hook 'mh-inc-folder-hook 'my-mh-inc-folder-hook)

     Rescan folder after incorporating new mail via mh-inc-folder-hook


File: mh-e,  Node: Reading Mail,  Next: Folders,  Prev: Incorporating Mail,  Up: Top

6 Reading Your Mail
*******************

The MH-E entry point for reading mail is `M-x mh-rmail'. This command
incorporates your mail and creates a buffer called `+inbox' in
MH-Folder mode. The command `M-x mh-rmail' shows you only new mail, not
mail you have already read(1).

   There are some commands that need to read mail, such as `Mouse-2'
over the `Mail' button that `display-time' adds to the mode line. You
can configure Emacs to have these commands use MH-E by setting the
option `read-mail-command' to `mh-rmail'.

   The `+inbox' buffer contains "scan lines", which are one-line
summaries of each incorporated message. You can perform most MH
commands on these messages via one- or two-letter commands in either
the MH-Folder or MH-Show buffers or by using the `Message' menu.  See
`scan'(1) for a description of the contents of the scan lines, and see
the Figure in *note Reading Mail Tour::, for an example.

`?'
     Display cheat sheet for the MH-E commands (`mh-help').  

`<RET>'
     Display message (`mh-show').  

`, (comma)'
     Display message with all header fields (`mh-header-display').  

`: (colon)'
     Display message with the default preferred alternative
     (`mh-show-preferred-alternative').  

`; (semicolon)'
     Toggle the value of `mh-decode-mime-flag'
     (`mh-toggle-mh-decode-mime-flag').  

`<SPC>'
     Display next page in message (`mh-page-msg').  

`<BS>'
     Display previous page in message (`mh-previous-page').  

`>'
     Append message to end of file (`mh-write-msg-to-file').  

`|'
     Pipe message through shell command (`mh-pipe-msg').  

`C-d'
     Delete range, don't move to next message
     (`mh-delete-msg-no-motion').  

`d'
     Delete range (`mh-delete-msg').  

`D ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`D <SPC>'
     Display next message in digest (`mh-page-digest').  

`D <BS>'
     Display previous message in digest (`mh-page-digest-backwards').  

`D b'
     Break up digest into separate messages (`mh-burst-digest').  

`g'
     Go to a message (`mh-goto-msg').  

`k'
     Delete messages with same subject or thread
     (`mh-delete-subject-or-thread').  

`K ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`K <TAB>'
     Go to the next button (`mh-next-button').  

`K S-<TAB>'
     Go to the previous button (`mh-prev-button').  

`K a'
     Save attachments (`mh-mime-save-parts').  

`K e'
     View attachment externally (`mh-display-with-external-viewer').  

`K i'
     Show attachment verbatim (`mh-folder-inline-mime-part').  

`K o'
     Save (output) attachment (`mh-folder-save-mime-part').  

`K t'
     Toggle option `mh-display-buttons-for-inline-parts-flag'
     (`mh-toggle-mime-buttons').  

`K v'
     View attachment (`mh-folder-toggle-mime-part').  

`M'
     Edit message (`mh-modify').  

`M-<'
     Display first message (`mh-first-msg').  

`M->'
     Display last message (`mh-last-msg').  

`M-n'
     Display next unread message (`mh-next-unread-msg').  

`M-p'
     Display previous unread message (`mh-previous-unread-msg').  

`n'
     Display next message (`mh-next-undeleted-msg').  

`p'
     Display previous message (`mh-previous-undeleted-msg').  

`P ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`P C'
     Toggle whether color is used in printing messages
     (`mh-ps-print-toggle-color').  

`P F'
     Toggle whether printing is done with faces or not
     (`mh-ps-print-toggle-faces').  

`P f'
     Print range to file (`mh-ps-print-msg-file').  

`P l'
     Print range the old fashioned way (`mh-print-msg').  

`P p'
     Print range (`mh-ps-print-msg').  

`X ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`X s'
`X u'
     Unpack message created with `uudecode' or `shar' (`mh-store-msg').  

`Mouse-2'
     Move point to mouse event and show message (`mh-show-mouse').

   Within the MH-Show buffer, the following command is defined.

`<RET>'
`Mouse-1'
`Mouse-2'
     View contents of button (`mh-press-button').

   The following table lists options in the `mh-show' customization
group that are used while reading mail.

`mh-bury-show-buffer-flag'
     On means show buffer is buried (default: `on').

`mh-clean-message-header-flag'
     On means remove extraneous header fields (default: `on').

`mh-decode-mime-flag'
     On means attachments are handled (default: `on' if the Gnus
     `mm-decode' package is present).

`mh-display-buttons-for-alternatives-flag'
     On means display buttons for all alternative attachments (default:
     `off').

`mh-display-buttons-for-inline-parts-flag'
     On means display buttons for all inline attachments (default:
     `off').

`mh-do-not-confirm-flag'
     On means non-reversible commands do not prompt for confirmation
     (default: `off').

`mh-fetch-x-image-url'
     Control fetching of `X-Image-URL:' header field image (default:
     `Never Fetch').

`mh-graphical-smileys-flag'
     On means graphical smileys are displayed (default: `on').

`mh-graphical-emphasis-flag'
     On means graphical emphasis is displayed (default: `on').

`mh-highlight-citation-style'
     Style for highlighting citations (default: `Multicolor').

`mh-invisible-header-fields-default'
     List of hidden header fields (default: a checklist too long to list
     here).

`mh-invisible-header-fields'
     Additional header fields to hide (default: `nil').

`mh-lpr-command-format'
     Command used to print (default: `"lpr -J '%s'"').

`mh-max-inline-image-height'
     Maximum inline image height if `Content-Disposition:' is not
     present (default: 0).

`mh-max-inline-image-width'
     Maximum inline image width if `Content-Disposition:' is not
     present(default: 0).

`mh-mhl-format-file'
     Specifies the format file to pass to the `mhl' program (default:
     `Use Default mhl Format (Printing Only)').

`mh-mime-save-parts-default-directory'
     Default directory to use for `K a'.

`mh-print-background-flag'
     On means messages should be printed in the background (default:
     `off').

`mh-show-buffer-mode-line-buffer-id'
     Format string to produce `mode-line-buffer-identification' for
     show buffers (default: `"    {show-%s} %d"').

`mh-show-maximum-size'
     Maximum size of message (in bytes) to display automatically
     (default: 0).

`mh-show-use-xface-flag'
     On means display face images in MH-Show buffers (default: `on').

`mh-store-default-directory'
     Default directory for `X s' (default: `Current').

`mh-summary-height'
     Number of lines in MH-Folder buffer (including the mode line)
     (default: depends on size of frame).

   The following hooks are available.

`mh-delete-msg-hook'
     Hook run after marking each message for deletion (default: `nil').

`mh-show-hook'
     Hook run after <RET> shows a message (default: `nil').

`mh-show-mode-hook'
     Hook run upon entry to `mh-show-mode' (default: `nil').

   The following faces are available.

`mh-show-cc'
     Face used to highlight `cc:' header fields.

`mh-show-date'
     Face used to highlight `Date:' header fields.

`mh-show-from'
     Face used to highlight `From:' header fields.

`mh-show-header'
     Face used to deemphasize less interesting header fields.

`mh-show-pgg-bad'
     Bad PGG signature face.

`mh-show-pgg-good'
     Good PGG signature face.

`mh-show-pgg-unknown'
     Unknown or untrusted PGG signature face.

`mh-show-signature'
     Signature face.

`mh-show-subject'
     Face used to highlight `Subject:' header fields.

`mh-show-to'
     Face used to highlight `To:' header fields.

`mh-show-xface'
     X-Face image face.

   The functions and variables introduced here are explained in more
detail in the following sections.

* Menu:

* Viewing::
* Viewing Attachments::
* HTML::
* Digests::
* Reading PGP::
* Printing::
* Files and Pipes::
* Navigating::
* Miscellaneous Commands and Options::

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) If you want to see your old mail as well, use `F r' to pull all
your messages into MH-E. Or, give a prefix argument to `mh-rmail' so it
will prompt you for folder to visit like `F v' (for example, `C-u M-x
mh-rmail <RET> bob <RET>'). *Note Folders::.


File: mh-e,  Node: Viewing,  Next: Viewing Attachments,  Prev: Reading Mail,  Up: Reading Mail

6.1 Viewing Your Mail
=====================

The command <RET> (`mh-show') displays the message that the cursor is
on while `Mouse-2' (`mh-show-mouse') displays the message that the
mouse cursor is on. If the message is already displayed, it scrolls to
the beginning of the message. Use <SPC> (`mh-page-msg') and <BS>
(`mh-previous-page') to move forwards and backwards one page at a time
through the message. You can give either of these commands a prefix
argument that specifies the number of lines to scroll (such as `10
<SPC>'). The <SPC> command will also show the next undeleted message if
it is used at the bottom of a message. MH-E normally hides a lot of the
superfluous header fields that mailers add to a message, but if you
wish to see all of them, use the command `,' (comma;
`mh-header-display').

   The option `mh-show-maximum-size' provides an opportunity to skip
over large messages which may be slow to load. The default value of 0
means that all message are shown regardless of size.

   A litany of options control what displayed messages look like.

   First, the appearance of the header fields can be modified by
customizing the associated face: `mh-show-to', `mh-show-cc',
`mh-show-from', `mh-show-date', and `mh-show-subject'.  The face
`mh-show-header' is used to deemphasize the other, less interesting,
header fields.

   Normally messages are delivered with a handful of uninteresting
header fields. These are hidden by turning on the option
`mh-clean-message-header-flag' (which it is by default). The header
fields listed in the option `mh-invisible-header-fields-default' are
hidden, although you can check off any field that you would like to
see. Header fields that you would like to hide that aren't listed can
be added to the option `mh-invisible-header-fields' with a couple of
caveats. Regular expressions are not allowed. Unique fields should have
a `:' suffix; otherwise, the element can be used to render invisible an
entire class of fields that start with the same prefix. If you think a
header field should be generally ignored, please update SF #1916032
(https://sourceforge.net/tracker/index.php?func=detail&aid=1916032&group_id=13357&atid=113357).

   MH-E can display the content of `Face:', `X-Face:', and
`X-Image-URL:' header fields. If any of these fields occur in the
header of your message, the sender's face will appear in the `From:'
header field. If more than one of these fields appear, then the first
field found in the order `Face:', `X-Face:', and `X-Image-URL:' will be
used. The option `mh-show-use-xface-flag' is used to turn this feature
on and off.  This feature will be turned on by default if your system
supports it.

   The first header field used, if present, is the Gnus-specific
`Face:' field(1).

   Next is the traditional `X-Face:' header field(2). MH-E renders the
foreground and background of the image using the associated attributes
of the face `mh-show-xface'.

   Finally, MH-E will display images referenced by the `X-Image-URL:'
header field if neither the `Face:' nor the `X-Face:' fields are
present(3). Of the three header fields this is the most efficient in
terms of network usage since the image doesn't need to be transmitted
with every single mail. The option `mh-fetch-x-image-url' controls the
fetching of the `X-Image-URL:' header field image with the following
values:

`Ask Before Fetching'
     You are prompted before the image is fetched. MH-E will remember
     your reply and will either use the already fetched image the next
     time the same URL is encountered or silently skip it if you didn't
     fetch it the first time. This is a good setting.

`Never Fetch'
     Images are never fetched and only displayed if they are already
     present in the cache. This is the default.

   There isn't a value of `Always Fetch' for privacy and DOS (denial of
service) reasons. For example, fetching a URL can tip off a spammer
that you've read his email (which is why you shouldn't blindly answer
yes if you've set this option to `Ask Before Fetching'). Someone may
also flood your network and fill your disk drive by sending a torrent
of messages, each specifying a unique URL to a very large file.

   The cache of images is found in the directory `.mhe-x-image-cache'
within your MH directory. You can add your own face to the `From:'
field too. *Note Picture::.

   Normally MH-E takes care of displaying messages itself (rather than
calling an MH program to do the work). If you'd rather have `mhl'
display the message (within MH-E), change the option
`mh-mhl-format-file' from its default value of `Use Default mhl Format
(Printing Only)'. You can set this option to `Use Default mhl Format'
to get the same output as you would get if you ran `mhl' from the
shell. If you have a format file that you want MH-E to use, you can set
this option to `Specify an mhl Format File' and enter the name of your
format file (`mhl'(1) or section Using mhl
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/shomes.html#Usisho) in the MH
book tells you how to write one). Your format file should specify a
non-zero value for `overflowoffset' to allow MH-E to parse the header.
Note that `mhl' is always used for printing and forwarding; in this
case, the value of `mh-mhl-format-file' is consulted if you have
specified a format file.

   If the sender of the message has cited other messages in his message,
then MH-E will highlight these citations to emphasize the sender's
actual response. The option `mh-highlight-citation-style' can be
customized to change the highlighting style. The `Multicolor' method
uses a different color for each indentation while the `Monotone' method
highlights all citations in red. To disable highlighting of citations
entirely, choose `None'.

   Email addresses and URLs in the message are highlighted if the option
`goto-address-highlight-p' is on, which it is by default. To view the
web page for a highlighted URL or to send a message using a highlighted
email address, use `Mouse-2' or `C-c <RET>' (`goto-address-at-point').
*Note Sending Mail::, to see how to configure Emacs to send the message
using MH-E.

   It is a long standing custom to inject body language using a
cornucopia of punctuation, also known as the "smileys". MH-E can render
these as graphical widgets if the option `mh-graphical-smileys-flag' is
turned on, which it is by default.  Smileys include patterns such as
:-) and ;-). Similarly, a few typesetting features are indicated in
ASCII text with certain characters. If your terminal supports it, MH-E
can render these typesetting directives naturally if the option
`mh-graphical-emphasis-flag' is turned on, which it is by default. For
example, _underline_ will be underlined, *bold* will appear in bold,
/italics/ will appear in italics, and so on. See the option
`gnus-emphasis-alist' for the whole list. Both of these options are
disabled if the option `mh-decode-mime-flag' is turned off. *Note
Viewing Attachments::.

   MH-E normally renders signatures and vCards in italics so that the
body of the message stands out more. MH-E depends on the presence of
the "signature separator" (`"-- "') to do this. You can also customize
the face `mh-show-signature' so the appearance of the signature block
is more to your liking.

   Two hooks can be used to control how messages are displayed. The
first hook, `mh-show-mode-hook', is called early on in the process of
the message display. It is usually used to perform some action on the
message's content. The second hook, `mh-show-hook', is the last thing
called after messages are displayed. It's used to affect the behavior
of MH-E in general or when `mh-show-mode-hook' is too early.

   For those who like to modify their mode lines, use
`mh-show-buffer-mode-line-buffer-id' to modify the mode line in the
MH-Show buffers. Place the two escape strings `%s' and `%d', which will
display the folder name and the message number, respectively, somewhere
in the string in that order. The default value of `"{show-%s} %d"'
yields a mode line of

     -----{show-+inbox} 4      (MH-Show)--Bot--------------------------------

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) The `Face:' field appeared in GNU Emacs 21 and XEmacs. For more
information, see `http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/'.

   (2) The display of this field requires the `uncompface' program
(ftp://ftp.cs.indiana.edu/pub/faces/compface/compface.tar.Z). Recent
versions of XEmacs have internal support for `X-Face:' images. If your
version of XEmacs does not, then you'll need both `uncompface' and the
`x-face' package (ftp://ftp.jpl.org/pub/elisp/).

   (3) The display of the images requires the `wget' program
(http://www.gnu.org/software/wget/wget.html) to fetch the image and the
`convert' program from the ImageMagick suite
(http://www.imagemagick.org/).


File: mh-e,  Node: Viewing Attachments,  Next: HTML,  Prev: Viewing,  Up: Reading Mail

6.2 Viewing Attachments
=======================

MH has the ability to display "MIME" (Multipurpose Internet Mail
Extensions) messages which are simply messages with additional "body
parts" or "attachments". You can use the MH commands `show'(1) or
`mhshow'(2) from the shell to read MIME messages(3).

   MH-E can handle attachments as well if the Gnus `mm-decode' package
is present. If so, the option `mh-decode-mime-flag' will be on.
Otherwise, you'll see the MIME body parts rather than text or
attachments. There isn't much point in turning off the option
`mh-decode-mime-flag'; however, you can inspect it if it appears that
the body parts are not being interpreted correctly or toggle it with
the command `;' (semicolon; `mh-toggle-mh-decode-mime-flag') to view
the raw message. This option also controls the display of
quoted-printable messages and other graphical widgets. *Note Viewing::.

   Attachments in MH-E are indicated by "buttons" like this:

     [1. image/jpeg; foo.jpg]...

   To view the contents of the button, use either `Mouse-1' or
`Mouse-2' on the button or <RET> (`mh-press-button') when the cursor is
over the button. This command is a toggle so if you use it again on the
same attachment, it is hidden. If Emacs does not know how to display
the attachment, then Emacs offers to save the attachment in a file. To
move the cursor to the next button, use the command `K <TAB>'
(`mh-next-button'). If the end of the buffer is reached then the search
wraps over to the start of the buffer. To move the cursor to the
previous button, use the command `K S-<TAB>' (`mh-prev-button'). If the
beginning of the buffer is reached then the search wraps over to the
end of the buffer.

   Another way to view the contents of a button is to use the command
`K v' (`mh-folder-toggle-mime-part'). This command displays (or hides)
the attachment associated with the button under the cursor.  If the
cursor is not located over a button, then the cursor first moves to the
next button, wrapping to the beginning of the message if necessary.
This command has the advantage over the previous commands of working
from the MH-Folder buffer. You can also provide a numeric prefix
argument (as in `4 K v') to view the attachment labeled with that
number. If Emacs does not know how to display the attachment, then
Emacs offers to save the attachment in a file.

   If Emacs does not know how to view an attachment, you could save it
into a file and then run some program to open it. It is easier,
however, to launch the program directly from MH-E with the command `K
e' (`mh-display-with-external-viewer'). While you'll most likely use
this to view spreadsheets and documents, it is also useful to use your
browser to view HTML attachments with higher fidelity than what Emacs
can provide. This command displays the attachment associated with the
button under the cursor. If the cursor is not located over a button,
then the cursor first moves to the next button, wrapping to the
beginning of the message if necessary. You can provide a numeric prefix
argument (as in `4 K e') to view the attachment labeled with that
number. This command tries to provide a reasonable default for the
viewer by calling the Emacs function `mailcap-mime-info'. This function
usually reads the file `/etc/mailcap'.

   Use the command `K o' (`mh-folder-save-mime-part') to save
attachments (the mnemonic is "output"). This command saves the
attachment associated with the button under the cursor. If the cursor
is not located over a button, then the cursor first moves to the next
button, wrapping to the beginning of the message if necessary. You can
also provide a numeric prefix argument (as in `3 K o') to save the
attachment labeled with that number. This command prompts you for a
filename and suggests a specific name if it is available.

   You can save all of the attachments at once with the command `K a'
(`mh-mime-save-parts'). The attachments are saved in the directory
specified by the option `mh-mime-save-parts-default-directory' unless
you use a prefix argument (as in `C-u K a') in which case you are
prompted for the directory. These directories may be superseded by MH
profile components, since this function calls on `mhstore' (`mhn') to
do the work.

   The default value for the option
`mh-mime-save-parts-default-directory' is `Prompt Always' so that you
are always prompted for the directory in which to save the attachments.
However, if you usually use the same directory within a session, then
you can set this option to `Prompt the First Time' to avoid the prompt
each time. you can make this directory permanent by choosing
`Directory' and entering the directory's name.

   The sender can request that attachments should be viewed inline so
that they do not really appear like an attachment at all to the reader.
Most of the time, this is desirable, so by default MH-E suppresses the
buttons for inline attachments. On the other hand, you may receive code
or HTML which the sender has added to his message as inline attachments
so that you can read them in MH-E. In this case, it is useful to see
the buttons so that you know you don't have to cut and paste the code
into a file; you can simply save the attachment. If you want to make
the buttons visible for inline attachments, you can use the command `K
t' (`mh-toggle-mime-buttons') to toggle the visibility of these
buttons. You can turn on these buttons permanently by turning on the
option `mh-display-buttons-for-inline-parts-flag'.

   MH-E cannot display all attachments inline however. It can display
text (including HTML) and images.

   Some older mail programs do not insert the needed plumbing(4) to
tell MH-E whether to display the attachments inline or not. If this is
the case, MH-E will display these images inline if they are smaller
than the window. However, you might want to allow larger images to be
displayed inline. To do this, you can change the options
`mh-max-inline-image-width' and `mh-max-inline-image-height' from their
default value of zero to a large number. The size of your screen is a
good choice for these numbers.

   Sometimes, a mail program will produce multiple alternatives of an
attachment in increasing degree of faithfulness to the original
content. By default, only the preferred alternative is displayed. If
the option `mh-display-buttons-for-alternatives-flag' is on, then the
preferred part is shown inline and buttons are shown for each of the
other alternatives.

   Many people prefer to see the `text/plain' alternative rather than
the `text/html' alternative. To do this in MH-E, customize the option
`mm-discouraged-alternatives', and add `text/html'. The next best
alternative, if any, will be shown.

   Occasionally, though, you might want to see the preferred
alternative.  The command `:' (`mh-show-preferred-alternative') displays
the message with the default preferred alternative. This is as if
`mm-discouraged-alternatives' is set to `nil'. Use the command <RET>
(`mh-show') to show the message normally again.

   You can view the raw contents of an attachment with the command `K
i' (`mh-folder-inline-mime-part'). This command displays (or hides) the
contents of the attachment associated with the button under the cursor
verbatim. If the cursor is not located over a button, then the cursor
first moves to the next button, wrapping to the beginning of the
message if necessary. You can also provide a numeric prefix argument
(as in `4 K i') to view the attachment labeled with that number.

   For additional information on buttons, see *note Article Buttons:
(gnus)Article Buttons, and *note MIME Commands: (gnus)MIME Commands.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Reading Mail: inc show next prev
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/reapre.html) in the MH book.

   (2) See the section Reading MIME Mail
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/usimim.html#ReMIMa) in the MH
book.

   (3) You can call them directly from Emacs if you're running the X
Window System: type `M-! xterm -e mhshow MESSAGE-NUMBER'. You can leave
out the `xterm -e' if you use `mhlist' or `mhstore'.

   (4) This plumbing is the `Content-Disposition:' header field.


File: mh-e,  Node: HTML,  Next: Digests,  Prev: Viewing Attachments,  Up: Reading Mail

6.3 HTML
========

MH-E can display messages that have been sent in HTML(1). The content
of the message will appear in the MH-Show buffer as you would expect if
the entire message is HTML, or there is an inline HTML body part.
However, if there is an HTML body part that is an attachment, then
you'll see a button like this:

     [1. text/html; foo.html]...

   To see how to read the contents of this body part, see *note Viewing
Attachments::.

   The browser that MH-E uses is determined by the option
`mm-text-html-renderer'. The default setting is set automatically based
upon the presence of a known browser on your system. If you wish to use
a different browser, then set this option accordingly. See the
documentation for the browser you use for additional information on how
to use it. In particular, find and disable the option to render images
as this can tip off spammers that the email address they have used is
valid.

   If you're confused about which `mm-text-html-renderer' to use,
here's a brief description of each, sorted by popularity, that includes
the results of a quick poll of MH-E users from 2005-12-23.

`w3m' 7
     The `w3m' browser requires an external program. It's quick,
     produces pretty nice output, and best of all, it's the only browser
     that highlights links. These can be clicked with `Mouse-2' to view
     the content of the link in `w3m'. The `w3m' browser handles tables
     well and actually respects the table's width parameter (which can
     cause text to wrap if the author didn't anticipate that the page
     would be viewed in Emacs).  

`w3m-standalone' 3
     This browser, along with `nil' for the external browser, are the
     only choices that work without having to download a separate lisp
     package or external program. This browser is quick, but does not
     show links. It handles simple tables but some tables get rendered
     much wider than the Emacs frame. This browser was the only one not
     to handle the escape `&ndash;' (it printed a `?'), but it did
     render `&reg;'.  

`links' 1
     The `links' browser requires an external program. It's quick, and
     produces nicer output than `lynx' on single column mails in
     tables. However, it doesn't show links and it doesn't do as nice a
     job on multi-column tables as some lines wrap. At least it fits in
     80 columns and thus seems better than `w3' and `w3m-standalone'.
     Converts escapes such as `&reg;' to (R).  

`lynx' 1
     The `lynx' browser requires an external program. It's quick and
     produces pretty decent output but it doesn't show links. It doesn't
     seem to do multi-column tables which makes output much cleaner. It
     centers the output and wraps long lines more than most. Handles
     `&reg;'.

`nil' 1
     This choice obviously requires an external browser. Like
     `w3m-standalone', it works out of the box. With this setting, HTML
     messages have a button for the body part which you can view with
     `K v' (`mh-folder-toggle-mime-part').  

`w3' 0
     This choice does not require an external program as all of the
     rendering is done in lisp. You do need to get the package
     separately.  This browser is *slow*, and doesn't appear to have
     been updated since 2001 and the author hasn't responded to my
     emails. It displays unknown tags instead of hiding them, so you
     get to see all the Microsoft crap in certain messages. Tends to
     make multi-column tables wider than even a full-screen Emacs can
     handle. Like `w3m', you can follow links, but you have to find
     them first as they are not highlighted. Performs well on
     single-column tables and handles escapes such as `&reg;'.  

`html2text' 0
     The `html2text' browser requires an external program. I noticed
     that it can do some nasty things with simple HTML mails (like
     filling the entire message as if it were one paragraph, including
     signature).  On another message, it displayed half of the HTML
     tags for some reason.

   For a couple more sources of information about
`mm-text-html-renderer', *Note Display Customization:
(emacs-mime)Display Customization, and the documentation for the Gnus
command `W h' (*note Article Washing: (gnus)Article Washing,).

   A useful key binding that you can add to `~/.emacs' is the following
which displays an HTML link or textual URL in an external browser when
clicked with `S-mouse-2'. This binding works in any buffer, including
HTML buffers.

     (global-set-key [S-mouse-2] 'browse-url-at-mouse)

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) This feature depends on a version of Gnus that is at least 5.10.


File: mh-e,  Node: Digests,  Next: Reading PGP,  Prev: HTML,  Up: Reading Mail

6.4 Digests
===========

A digest is a message that contains other messages. Special MH-E
commands let you read digests conveniently. You can use <SPC> and <BS>
to page through the digest as if it were a normal message, but if you
wish to skip to the next message in the digest, use `D <SPC>'
(`mh-page-digest'). To return to a previous message, use `D <BS>'
(`mh-page-digest-backwards').

   Another handy command is `D b' (`mh-burst-digest'). This command
uses the MH command `burst'(1) to break out each message in the digest
into its own message.  Using this command, you can quickly delete
unwanted messages, like this: Once the digest is split up, toggle out
of MH-Folder Show mode with `t' (*note Folders::) so that the scan
lines fill the screen and messages aren't displayed. Then use `d'
(*note Reading Mail::) to quickly delete messages that you don't want
to read (based on the `Subject:' header field). You can also burst the
digest to reply directly to the people who posted the messages in the
digest. One problem you may encounter is that the `From:' header fields
are preceded with a `>' so that your reply can't create the `To:' field
correctly. In this case, you must correct the `To:' field yourself.
This is described later (*note Editing Drafts::).

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Bursting Messages
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/burdig.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Reading PGP,  Next: Printing,  Prev: Digests,  Up: Reading Mail

6.5 Signed and Encrypted Messages
=================================

You can read encrypted or signed PGP or GPG messages with MH-E(1). This
section assumes that you already have a good understanding of GPG and
have set up your keys appropriately.

   If someone sends you a signed message, here is what you'll see:

     [[PGP Signed Part:Bill Wohler <wohler@stop.mail-abuse.org>]]
     This is a signed message.

     [[End of PGP Signed Part]]

   If the key for the given signature is not in your keychain, you'll be
given the opportunity to fetch the key from a key server and verify the
key. If the message is really large, the verification process can take
a long time. You can press `C-g' at any time to cancel(2).

   If the signature doesn't check out, you might see something like
this:

     [[PGP Signed Part:Failed]]
     This is a signed message.
     This is garbage added after the signature was made.

     [[End of PGP Signed Part]]

   If someone sends you an encrypted message, MH-E will ask for your
passphrase to decrypt the message. You should see something like this:

     [[PGP Encrypted Part:OK]]

     [[PGP Signed Part:Bill Wohler <wohler@stop.mail-abuse.org>]]
     This is the secret message.

     [[End of PGP Signed Part]]

     [[End of PGP Encrypted Part]]

   If there is a problem decrypting the message, the button will say:

     [[PGP Encrypted Part:Failed]]

   You can read the contents of this button using the methods described
in *note Viewing Attachments::. If the message were corrupted, you'd see
this:

     [[PGP Encrypted Part:Failed]
     Invalid base64 data]

   If your passphrase were incorrect, you'd see something like this:

     [GNUPG:] ENC_TO CD9C88BB610BD9AD 1 0
     [GNUPG:] USERID_HINT CD9C88BB610BD9AD Bill Wohler <wohler@stop.mail-abuse.org>
     [GNUPG:] NEED_PASSPHRASE CD9C88BB610BD9AD CD9C88BB610BD9AD 1 0
     [GNUPG:] BAD_PASSPHRASE CD9C88BB610BD9AD
     gpg: encrypted with 1024-bit RSA key, ID 610BD9AD, created 1997-09-09
           "Bill Wohler <wohler@stop.mail-abuse.org>"
     gpg: public key decryption failed: bad passphrase
     [GNUPG:] BEGIN_DECRYPTION
     [GNUPG:] DECRYPTION_FAILED
     gpg: decryption failed: secret key not available
     [GNUPG:] END_DECRYPTION

     gpg exited abnormally: '2'

   The appearance of the buttons is controlled by the faces
`mh-show-pgg-good', `mh-show-pgg-bad', and `mh-show-pgg-unknown'
depending on the validity of the signature.  The latter is used whether
the signature is unknown or untrusted.

   The `pgg' customization group may have some settings which may
interest you.  *Note The PGG Manual: (pgg)Top.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) This feature depends on post-5.10 versions of Gnus.  `MIME
Security with OpenPGP' is documented in RFC 3156
(http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3156.txt). However, MH-E can also
decrypt old-style PGP messages that are not in MIME format.

   (2) Unfortunately in the current version, the validation process
doesn't display a message so it appears that MH-E has hung. We hope
that this will be fixed in the future.


File: mh-e,  Node: Printing,  Next: Files and Pipes,  Prev: Reading PGP,  Up: Reading Mail

6.6 Printing Your Mail
======================

To print messages in MH-E, use the command `P p' (`mh-ps-print-msg').
You can print all the messages in a range (as in `C-u P p 1 3 5-7
last:5 frombob <RET>', *note Ranges::). You can also send the output to
a file with `P f' (`mh-ps-print-msg-file'). This command will print
inline text attachments but will not decrypt messages. However, when a
message is displayed in an MH-Show buffer, then that buffer is used
verbatim for printing with the caveat that only text attachments, if
opened inline, are printed. Therefore, encrypted messages can be
printed by showing and decrypting them first. The commands `P p' and `P
f' do not use the options `mh-lpr-command-format' or
`mh-print-background-flag', described below.

   Colors are emulated on black-and-white printers with shades of gray.
This might produce illegible output, even if your screen colors only
use shades of gray. If this is the case, try using the command `P C'
(`mh-ps-print-toggle-color') to toggle between color, no color, and a
black and white representation of the colors and see which works best.
You change this setting permanently by customizing the option
`ps-print-color-p'.

   Another related function is the command `P F'
(`mh-ps-print-toggle-faces'). This command toggles between using faces
and not. When faces are enabled, the printed message will look very
similar to the message in the MH-Show buffer.

   MH-E uses the `ps-print' package to do the printing, so you can
customize the printing further by going to the `ps-print' customization
group.

   An alternative to using the `ps-print' package is the command `P l'
(`mh-print-msg') (the l is for line printer or lpr). You can print all
the messages in a range. The message is formatted with `mhl'(1) and
printed with the `lpr' command.

   The command `P l' uses two options. The option
`mh-lpr-command-format' contains the Unix command line which performs
the actual printing. The string can contain one escape, `%s', which is
replaced by the name of the folder and the message number and is useful
for print job names. The default setting is `"lpr -J '%s'"'. I use
`"mpage -h'%s' -b Letter -H1of -mlrtb -P"' which produces a nice header
and adds a bit of margin so the text fits within my printer's margins.
Normally messages are printed in the foreground. If this is slow on
your system, you may elect to turn on the option
`mh-print-background-flag' to print in the background.  If you do this,
do not delete the message until it is printed or else the output may be
truncated. These options are not used by the commands `P p' or `P f'.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Using mhl
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/shomes.html#Usisho) in the MH
book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Files and Pipes,  Next: Navigating,  Prev: Printing,  Up: Reading Mail

6.7 Files and Pipes
===================

MH-E does offer a couple of commands that are not a part of MH. The
first one, `>' (`mh-write-msg-to-file'), writes a message to a file.
You are prompted for the filename. If the file already exists, the
message is appended to it. You can also write the message to the file
without the header by specifying a prefix argument (such as `C-u >
/tmp/foobar <RET>'). Subsequent writes to the same file can be made
with the command `!' (`mh-refile-or-write-again').

   You can also pipe the message through a Unix shell command with the
command `|' (`mh-pipe-msg'). You are prompted for the Unix command
through which you wish to run your message. If you give a prefix
argument to this command, the message header is included in the text
passed to the command (the contrived example `C-u | lpr' would be done
with the `l' command instead).

   If the message is a shell archive `shar' or has been run through
`uuencode' use `X s' (`mh-store-msg') to extract the body of the
message. The default directory for extraction is the current directory;
however, you have a chance to specify a different extraction directory.
The next time you use this command, the default directory is the last
directory you used. If you would like to change the initial default
directory, customize the option `mh-store-default-directory', change
the value from `Current' to `Directory', and then enter the name of the
directory for storing the content of these messages.

   By the way, `X s' calls the Emacs Lisp function `mh-store-buffer'. I
mention this because you can use it directly if you're editing a buffer
that contains a file that has been run through `uuencode' or `shar'.
For example, you can extract the contents of the current buffer in your
home directory by typing `M-x mh-store-buffer <RET> ~ <RET>'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Navigating,  Next: Miscellaneous Commands and Options,  Prev: Files and Pipes,  Up: Reading Mail

6.8 Navigating
==============

To move on to the next message, use the command `n'
(`mh-next-undeleted-msg'); use `p' (`mh-previous-undeleted-msg') to
read the previous message. To move to the next unread message, use `M-n'
(`mh-next-unread-msg'); use `M-p' (`mh-previous-unread-msg') to move to
the previous unread message. These commands can be given a prefix
argument to specify how many messages to skip (for example, `5 n'). You
can also move to a specific message with `g' (`mh-goto-msg'). You can
enter the message number either before or after typing `g'. In the
latter case, Emacs prompts you. Finally, you can go to the first or last
message with `M-<' (`mh-first-msg') and `M->' (`mh-last-msg')
respectively.

   You can also use the Emacs commands `C-p' (`previous-line') and
`C-n' (`next-line') to move up and down the scan lines in the MH-Folder
window. These commands can be used in conjunction with <RET> to look at
deleted or refiled messages.

   To mark a message for deletion, use the command `d'
(`mh-delete-msg'). A `D' is placed by the message in the scan window,
and the next undeleted message is displayed. If the previous command
had been `p', then the next message displayed is the first undeleted
message previous to the message just deleted. Use `n' to force
subsequent `d' commands to move forward to the next undeleted message
after deleting the message under the cursor.  You may also specify a
range (for example, `C-u d 1 3 5-7 last:5 frombob <RET>', *note
Ranges::).

   The command `C-d' (`mh-delete-msg-no-motion') marks the message (or
messages in range) for deletion but leaves the cursor at the current
message in case you wish to perform other operations on the message.

   And to delete more messages faster, you can use `k'
(`mh-delete-subject-or-thread') to delete all the messages with the
same subject as the current message. This command puts these messages
in a sequence named `subject'. You can undo this action by using `u'
(`mh-undo') with a prefix argument and then specifying the `subject'
sequence. However, if the buffer is displaying a threaded view of the
folder then `k' behaves like `T d' (`mh-thread-delete'). *Note
Threading::.

   However you mark a message for deletion, the command `x'
(`mh-execute-commands') actually carries out the deletion (*note
Folders::).

   The hook `mh-delete-msg-hook' is called after you mark a message for
deletion. For example, a past maintainer of MH-E used this once when he
kept statistics on his mail usage.


File: mh-e,  Node: Miscellaneous Commands and Options,  Prev: Navigating,  Up: Reading Mail

6.9 Miscellaneous Commands and Options
======================================

This section contains a few more miscellaneous commands and options.

   There are times when you need to edit a message. For example, you may
need to fix a broken Content-Type header field. You can do this with
the command `M' (`mh-modify'). It displays the raw message in an
editable buffer. When you are done editing, save and kill the buffer as
you would any other.

   Commands such as `mh-pack-folder' prompt to confirm whether to
process outstanding moves and deletes or not before continuing.
Turning on the option `mh-do-not-confirm-flag' means that these actions
will be performed--which is usually desired but cannot be
retracted--without question(1).

   The option `mh-summary-height' controls the number of scan lines
displayed in the MH-Folder window, including the mode line. The default
value of this option is `Automatic' which means that the MH-Folder
buffer will maintain the same proportional size if the frame is
resized. If you'd prefer a fixed height, then choose the `Fixed Size'
option and enter the number of lines you'd like to see.

   Normally the buffer for displaying messages is buried at the bottom
at the buffer stack. You may wish to disable this feature by turning off
the option `mh-bury-show-buffer-flag'. One advantage of not burying the
show buffer is that one can delete the show buffer more easily in an
electric buffer list because of its proximity to its associated
MH-Folder buffer. Try running `M-x electric-buffer-list' to see what I
mean.

   Before we leave this section, I'll include a function that I use as a
front end to MH-E(2). It toggles between your working window
configuration, which may be quite involved--windows filled with source,
compilation output, man pages, and other documentation--and your MH-E
window configuration. Like the rest of the customization described in
this section, simply add the following code to `~/.emacs'.

     (defvar my-mh-screen-saved nil
       "Set to non-`nil' when MH-E window configuration shown.")
     (defvar my-normal-screen nil "Normal window configuration.")
     (defvar my-mh-screen nil "MH-E window configuration.")

     (defun my-mh-rmail (&optional arg)
       "Toggle between MH-E and normal screen configurations.
     With non-`nil' or prefix argument, inc mailbox as well
     when going into mail."
       (interactive "P")                 ; user callable function, P=prefix arg
       (setq my-mh-screen-saved          ; save state
             (cond
              ;; Bring up MH-E screen if arg or normal window configuration.
              ;; If arg or +inbox buffer doesn't exist, run mh-rmail.
              ((or arg (null my-mh-screen-saved))
               (setq my-normal-screen (current-window-configuration))
               (if (or arg (null (get-buffer "+inbox")))
                   (mh-rmail)
                 (set-window-configuration my-mh-screen))
               t)                        ; set my-mh-screen-saved to `t'
              ;; Otherwise, save MH-E screen and restore normal screen.
              (t
               (setq my-mh-screen (current-window-configuration))
               (set-window-configuration my-normal-screen)
               nil))))                   ; set my-mh-screen-saved to nil

     (global-set-key "\C-x\r" 'my-mh-rmail)  ; call with C-x <RET>

     Starting MH-E

   If you type an argument (`C-u') or if `my-mh-screen-saved' is `nil'
(meaning a non-MH-E window configuration), the current window
configuration is saved, either the `+inbox' buffer is displayed or
`mh-rmail' is run, and the MH-E window configuration is shown.
Otherwise, the MH-E window configuration is saved and the original
configuration is displayed.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) In previous versions of MH-E, this option suppressed the
confirmation in `mh-kill-folder'.  Since this kept most users from
setting this option, `mh-kill-folder' was modified in version 6.0 to
always ask for confirmation subject to
`mh-kill-folder-suppress-prompt-hook'.  *Note Folders::.

   (2) Stephen Gildea's favorite binding is `(global-set-key "\C-cr"
'mh-rmail)'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Folders,  Next: Sending Mail,  Prev: Reading Mail,  Up: Top

7 Organizing Your Mail with Folders
***********************************

This chapter discusses the things you can do with folders within MH-E.
The commands in this chapter are also found in the `Folder' and
`Message' menus.

`?'
     Display cheat sheet for the MH-E commands (`mh-help').  

`!'
     Repeat last output command (`mh-refile-or-write-again').  

`c'
     Copy range to folder (`mh-copy-msg').  

`F ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`F ''
     Display ticked messages (`mh-index-ticked-messages').  

`F c'
     Delete range from the `unseen' sequence (`mh-catchup').  

`F k'
     Remove folder (`mh-kill-folder').  

`F l'
     List all folders (`mh-list-folders').  

`F n'
     Display unseen messages (`mh-index-new-messages').  

`F p'
     Pack folder (`mh-pack-folder').  

`F q'
     Display messages in any sequence (`mh-index-sequenced-messages').  

`F r'
     Rescan folder (`mh-rescan-folder').  

`F s'
     Search your MH mail (`mh-search').  

`F S'
     Sort folder (`mh-sort-folder').  

`F u'
     Undo all refiles and deletes in the current folder
     (`mh-undo-folder').  

`F v'
     Visit folder (`mh-visit-folder').  

`o'
     Refile (output) range into folder (`mh-refile-msg').  

`q'
     Quit the current MH-E folder (`mh-quit').  

`t'
     Toggle between MH-Folder and MH-Folder Show modes
     (`mh-toggle-showing').  

`u'
     Undo pending deletes or refiles in range (`mh-undo').  

`x'
     Process outstanding delete and refile requests
     (`mh-execute-commands').

   The `mh-folder' customization group is used to tune these commands.

`mh-new-messages-folders'
     Folders searched for the `unseen' sequence (default: `Inbox').

`mh-ticked-messages-folders'
     Folders searched for `mh-tick-seq' (default: `t').

`mh-large-folder'
     The number of messages that indicates a large folder (default:
     200).

`mh-recenter-summary-flag'
     On means to recenter the summary window (default: `off').

`mh-recursive-folders-flag'
     On means that commands which operate on folders do so recursively
     (default: `off').

`mh-sortm-args'
     Additional arguments for `sortm' (default: `nil').

   The following hooks are available.

`mh-after-commands-processed-hook'
     Hook run by `x' after performing outstanding refile and delete
     requests (default: `nil').

`mh-before-commands-processed-hook'
     Hook run by `x' before performing outstanding refile and delete
     requests (default: `nil').

`mh-before-quit-hook'
     Hook run by q before quitting MH-E (default: `nil').

`mh-folder-mode-hook'
     Hook run by `mh-folder-mode' when visiting a new folder (default:
     `nil').

`mh-kill-folder-suppress-prompt-hook'
     Abnormal hook run at the beginning of `mh-kill-folder' (default:
     `'mh-search-p').

`mh-pack-folder-hook'
     Hook run by `mh-pack-folder' after renumbering the messages
     (default: `nil').

`mh-quit-hook'
     Hook run by q after quitting MH-E (default: `nil').

`mh-refile-msg-hook'
     Hook run by o after marking each message for refiling (default:
     `nil').

   The following faces are available for customizing the appearance of
the MH-Folder buffer. *Note Scan Line Formats::.

`mh-folder-address'
     Recipient face.

`mh-folder-body'
     Body text face.

`mh-folder-cur-msg-number'
     Current message number face.

`mh-folder-date'
     Date face.

`mh-folder-deleted'
     Deleted message face.

`mh-folder-followup'
     `Re:' face.

`mh-folder-msg-number'
     Message number face.

`mh-folder-refiled'
     Refiled message face.  

`mh-folder-sent-to-me-hint'
     Fontification hint face in messages sent directly to us. The
     detection of messages sent to us is governed by the scan format
     `mh-scan-format-nmh' and regular expression
     `mh-scan-sent-to-me-sender-regexp'.  

`mh-folder-scan-format'
     Sender face in messages sent directly to us. The detection of
     messages sent to us is governed by the scan format
     `mh-scan-format-nmh' and regular expression
     `mh-scan-sent-to-me-sender-regexp'.

`mh-folder-subject'
     Subject face.

`mh-folder-tick'
     Ticked message face.

`mh-folder-to'
     `To:' face.

   The hook `mh-folder-mode-hook' is called when visiting a new folder
in MH-Folder mode. This could be used to set your own key bindings, for
example:

     (defvar my-mh-init-done nil
       "Non-`nil' when one-time MH-E settings made.")

     (defun my-mh-folder-mode-hook ()
       "Hook to set key bindings in MH-Folder mode."
       (if (not my-mh-init-done)             ; only need to bind the keys once
           (progn
             (local-set-key "//" 'my-search-msg)
             (local-set-key "b" 'mh-burst-digest)    ; better use of `b'
             (setq my-mh-init-done t))))

     (add-hook 'mh-folder-mode-hook 'my-mh-folder-mode-hook)

     (defun my-search-msg ()
       "Search for a regexp in the current message."
       (interactive)                         ; user function
       (save-window-excursion
         (other-window 1)                    ; go to next window
         (isearch-forward-regexp)))          ; string search; hit return
                                             ;   when done

     Create additional key bindings via mh-folder-mode-hook

   MH-E has analogies for each of the MH `folder' and `refile'
commands(1). To refile a message in another folder, use the command `o'
(`mh-refile-msg') (mnemonic: "output"). You are prompted for the folder
name (*note Folder Selection::). Note that this command can also be
used to create folders. If you specify a folder that does not exist,
you will be prompted to create it. The hook `mh-refile-msg-hook' is
called after a message is marked to be refiled.

   If you are refiling several messages into the same folder, you can
use the command `!' (`mh-refile-or-write-again') to repeat the last
refile or write (for the description of `>' (`mh-write-msg-to-file'),
*note Files and Pipes::). You can use a range in either case (for
example, `C-u o 1 3 5-7 last:5 frombob <RET>', *note Ranges::).

   If you've deleted a message or refiled it, but changed your mind, you
can cancel the action before you've executed it. Use `u' (`mh-undo') to
undo a refile on or deletion of a single message.  You can also undo
refiles and deletes for messages that are found in a given range (*note
Ranges::).

   Alternatively, you can use `F u' (`mh-undo-folder') to undo all
refiles and deletes in the current folder.

   If you've marked messages to be deleted or refiled and you want to go
ahead and delete or refile the messages, use `x'
(`mh-execute-commands'). Many MH-E commands that may affect the
numbering of the messages (such as `F r' or `F p') will ask if you want
to process refiles or deletes first and then either run `x' for you or
undo the pending refiles and deletes.

   The command `x' runs `mh-before-commands-processed-hook' before the
commands are processed and `mh-after-commands-processed-hook' after the
commands are processed. Variables that are useful with the former hook
include `mh-delete-list' and `mh-refile-list' which can be used to see
which changes will be made to the current folder, `mh-current-folder'.
Variables that are useful with the latter hook include
`mh-folders-changed', which lists which folders were affected by
deletes and refiles. This list will always include the current folder
`mh-current-folder'.

   If you wish to copy a message to another folder, you can use the
command `c' (`mh-copy-msg') (see the `-link' argument to `refile'(1)).
Like the command `o', this command prompts you for the name of the
target folder and you can specify a range (*note Ranges::). Note that
unlike the command `o', the copy takes place immediately. The original
copy remains in the current folder.

   The command `t' (`mh-toggle-showing') switches between MH-Folder
mode and MH-Folder Show mode(2). MH-Folder mode turns off the
associated show buffer so that you can perform operations on the
messages quickly without reading them. This is an excellent way to
prune out your junk mail or to refile a group of messages to another
folder for later examination.

   When you use `t' to toggle from MH-Folder Show mode to MH-Folder
mode, the MH-Show buffer is hidden and the MH-Folder buffer is left
alone. Setting `mh-recenter-summary-flag' to a non-`nil' value causes
the toggle to display as many scan lines as possible, with the cursor
at the middle. The effect of `mh-recenter-summary-flag' is rather
useful, but it can be annoying on a slow network connection.

   When you want to read the messages that you have refiled into
folders, use the command `F v' (`mh-visit-folder') to visit the folder.
You are prompted for the folder name. The folder buffer will show just
unseen messages if there are any; otherwise, it will show all the
messages in the buffer as long there are fewer than `mh-large-folder'
messages. If there are more, then you are prompted for a range of
messages to scan. You can provide a prefix argument in order to specify
a range of messages to show when you visit the folder (*note Ranges::).
In this case, regions are not used to specify the range and
`mh-large-folder' is ignored. Note that this command can also be used
to create folders. If you specify a folder that does not exist, you
will be prompted to create it.

   If you forget where you've refiled your messages, you can find them
using `F s' (`mh-search'). *Note Searching::.

   If you use a program such as `procmail' to file your incoming mail
automatically, you can display new, unseen, messages using the command
`F n' (`mh-index-new-messages'). All messages in the `unseen' sequence
from the folders in `mh-new-messages-folders' are listed. However, this
list of folders can be overridden with a prefix argument: with a prefix
argument, enter a space-separated list of folders, or nothing to search
all folders.

   If you have ticked messages (*note Sequences::), you can display them
using the command `F '' (`mh-index-ticked-messages'). All messages in
the `tick' sequence from the folders in `mh-ticked-messages-folders'
are listed. With a prefix argument, enter a space-separated list of
folders, or nothing to search all folders.

   You can display messages in any sequence with the command `F q'
(`mh-index-sequenced-messages'). All messages from the folders in
`mh-new-messages-folders' in the sequence you provide are listed.  With
a prefix argument, enter a space-separated list of folders at the
prompt, or nothing to search all folders.

   Set the options `mh-new-messages-folders' and
`mh-ticked-messages-folders' to `Inbox' to search the `+inbox' folder
or `All' to search all of the top level folders. Otherwise, list the
folders that should be searched with the `Choose Folders' menu item.
See `mh-recursive-folders-flag'.

   Other commands you can perform on folders include: `F l'
(`mh-list-folders'), to place a listing of all the folders in your mail
directory in a buffer called `*MH-E Folders*' (*note Miscellaneous::);
`F k' (`mh-kill-folder'), to remove a folder; `F S' (`mh-sort-folder'),
to sort the messages by date (see `sortm'(1) to see how to sort by
other criteria); `F p' (`mh-pack-folder'), to pack a folder, removing
gaps from the numbering sequence; and `F r' (`mh-rescan-folder'), to
rescan the folder, which is useful to grab all messages in your
`+inbox' after processing your new mail for the first time. If you
don't want to rescan the entire folder, the commands `F r' or `F p'
will accept a range (*note Ranges::).

   The command `F p' runs `mh-pack-folder-hook' after renumbering the
messages. A variable that is useful with this hook is
`mh-current-folder'.

   By default, operations on folders work only one level at a time. Set
`mh-recursive-folders-flag' to non-`nil' to operate on all folders.
This mostly means that you'll be able to see all your folders when you
press <TAB> when prompted for a folder name.

   The hook `mh-kill-folder-suppress-prompt-hooks' is an abnormal hook
run at the beginning of the command `k'. The hook functions are called
with no arguments and should return a non-nil value to suppress the
normal prompt when you remove a folder. This is useful for folders that
are easily regenerated. The default value of `mh-search-p' suppresses
the prompt on folders generated by searching.


                                *NOTE*

     Use this hook with care. If there is a bug in your hook which
     returns `t' on `+inbox' and you press `k' by accident in the
     `+inbox' folder, you will not be happy.


   The option `mh-sortm-args' holds extra arguments to pass on to the
command `sortm'(3) when a prefix argument is used with `F S'. Normally
default arguments to `sortm' are specified in the MH profile.  This
option may be used to provide an alternate view. For example,
`'(\"-nolimit\" \"-textfield\" \"subject\")' is a useful setting.

   When you want to quit using MH-E and go back to editing, you can use
the `q' (`mh-quit') command. This buries the buffers of the current
MH-E folder and restores the buffers that were present when you first
ran `M-x mh-rmail'. It also removes any MH-E working buffers whose name
begins with ` *mh-' or `*MH-E ' (*note Miscellaneous::). You can later
restore your MH-E session by selecting the `+inbox' buffer or by
running `M-x mh-rmail' again.

   The two hooks `mh-before-quit-hook' and `mh-quit-hook' are called by
`q'. The former one is called before the quit occurs, so you might use
it to perform any MH-E operations; you could perform some query and
abort the quit or call `mh-execute-commands', for example. The latter
is not run in an MH-E context, so you might use it to modify the window
setup. If you find that `q' buries a lot of buffers that you would
rather remove, you can use both `mh-before-quit-hook' and
`mh-quit-hook' to accomplish that.

     (defvar my-mh-folder-buffer-to-delete nil
       "Folder buffer that is being quit.")

     (defun my-mh-before-quit-hook ()
       "Save folder buffer that is to be deleted."
       (setq my-mh-folder-buffer-to-delete (current-buffer)))

     (defun my-mh-quit-hook ()
       "Kill folder buffer rather than just bury it."
       (set-buffer my-mh-folder-buffer-to-delete)
       (if (get-buffer mh-show-buffer)
           (kill-buffer mh-show-buffer))
       (kill-buffer (current-buffer)))

     Kill MH-Folder buffer instead of burying it

   You can use dired to manipulate the folders themselves. For example,
I renamed my `+out' folder to the more common `+outbox' by running
dired on my mail directory (`M-x dired RET ~/Mail RET'), moving my
cursor to `out' and using the command `R' (`dired-do-rename').

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the sections Your Current Folder: folder
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/fol.html#Youfol) and Moving and
Linking Messages: refile
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/fol.html#Movref) in the MH book.

   (2) For you Emacs wizards, this is implemented as an Emacs minor
mode.

   (3) See the section Sorting Messages: sortm
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/sorsor.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Sending Mail,  Next: Editing Drafts,  Prev: Folders,  Up: Top

8 Sending Mail
**************

You can send a mail message in several ways. You can call `M-x
mh-smail' directly, or from the command line like this:

     $ emacs -f mh-smail

   There are some commands that need to send a mail message, such as
`goto-address-at-point'. You can configure Emacs to have these commands
use MH-E by setting the option `mail-user-agent' to `Emacs interface to
MH'.

   From within MH-E's MH-Folder mode, other methods of sending mail are
available as well. These can also be found in the `Message' menu.

`e'
     Edit a message to send it again (`mh-edit-again').  

`E'
     Edit a message that was returned by the mail system
     (`mh-extract-rejected-mail').  

`f'
     Forward message (`mh-forward').  

`r'
     Reply to a message (`mh-reply').  

`s'
     Compose a message (`mh-send').  

`M-d'
     Redistribute a message (`mh-redistribute').  

`M-x mh-smail'
     Compose a message with the MH mail system.  

`M-x mh-smail-other-window'
     Compose a message with the MH mail system in other window.

   In addition, several options from the `mh-sending-mail'
customization group are useful when sending mail or replying to mail.
They are summarized in the following table.

`mh-compose-forward-as-mime-flag'
     On means that messages are forwarded as attachments (default:
     `on').

`mh-compose-letter-function'
     Hook run when starting a new draft (default: `nil').

`mh-compose-prompt-flag'
     On means prompt for header fields when composing a new draft
     (default: `off').

`mh-forward-subject-format'
     Format string for forwarded message subject (default: `"%s: %s"').

`mh-insert-x-mailer-flag'
     On means append an `X-Mailer:' header field to the header
     (default: `on').

`mh-redist-full-contents-flag'
     On means the `dist' command needs entire letter for redistribution
     (default: `off').

`mh-reply-default-reply-to'
     Sets the person or persons to whom a reply will be sent (default:
     `Prompt').

`mh-reply-show-message-flag'
     On means the MH-Show buffer is displayed using `r' (`mh-reply')
     (default: `on').

   The following hooks are available.

`mh-annotate-msg-hook'
     Hook run by `mh-annotate-msg' after annotation (default: `nil').

`mh-forward-hook'
     Hook run by `mh-forward' on a forwarded letter (default: `nil').

`mh-letter-mode-hook'
     Hook run by `mh-letter-mode' on a new letter (default: `nil').

   A hook that is called whenever a message is sent and after the scan
lines and message are annotated is `mh-annotate-msg-hook'. Hook
functions can access the current folder name with `mh-current-folder'
and obtain the message numbers of the annotated messages with
`mh-annotate-list'.

   The rest of the functions and options introduced here are explained
in more detail in the following sections.

* Menu:

* Composing::
* Replying::
* Forwarding::
* Redistributing::
* Editing Again::


File: mh-e,  Node: Composing,  Next: Replying,  Prev: Sending Mail,  Up: Sending Mail

8.1 Composing
=============

Outside of an MH-Folder buffer, you must call either `M-x mh-smail' or
`M-x mh-smail-other-window' to compose a new message.  The former
command always creates a two-window layout with the current buffer on
top and the draft on the bottom. Use the latter command if you would
rather preserve the window layout. You may find adding the following
key bindings to `~/.emacs' useful:

     (global-set-key "\C-xm" 'mh-smail)
     (global-set-key "\C-x4m" 'mh-smail-other-window)

   From within a MH-Folder buffer, you can simply use the command `m'
(`mh-send'). However you invoke `mh-send', your letter appears in an
Emacs buffer whose mode is MH-Letter (to see what the buffer looks
like, *note Sending Mail Tour::). MH-Letter mode allows you to edit
your message, to check the validity of the recipients, to insert
attachments and other messages into your message, and to send the
message. We'll go more into depth about editing a "draft"(1) (a message
you're composing) in just a moment (*note Editing Drafts::).

   If you prefer to be prompted for the recipient and subject fields
before the MH-Letter buffer appears, turn on the option
`mh-compose-prompt-flag'.

   MH-E adds an `X-Mailer:' header field to the header that includes
the version of MH-E and Emacs that you are using. If you don't want to
participate in our marketing, you can turn off the option
`mh-insert-x-mailer-flag'.

   Two hooks are provided to run commands on your freshly created draft.
The first hook, `mh-letter-mode-hook', allows you to do some processing
before editing a letter(2). For example, you may wish to modify the
header after `repl' has done its work, or you may have a complicated
`components' file and need to tell MH-E where the cursor should go.
Here's an example of how you would use this hook.

     (defvar letter-mode-init-done-flag nil
       "Non-nil means one-time MH-E settings have been made.")

     (defun my-mh-letter-mode-hook ()
       "Prepare letter for editing."
       (when (not letter-mode-init-done)     ; only need to bind the keys once
         (local-set-key "\C-ctb" 'add-enriched-text)
         (local-set-key "\C-cti" 'add-enriched-text)
         (local-set-key "\C-ctf" 'add-enriched-text)
         (local-set-key "\C-cts" 'add-enriched-text)
         (local-set-key "\C-ctB" 'add-enriched-text)
         (local-set-key "\C-ctu" 'add-enriched-text)
         (local-set-key "\C-ctc" 'add-enriched-text)
         (setq letter-mode-init-done t))
       (save-excursion
         (goto-char (point-max))             ; go to end of message to
         (mh-insert-signature)))             ;   insert signature

     Prepare draft for editing via mh-letter-mode-hook

   The function, `add-enriched-text' is defined in the example in *note
Adding Attachments::.

   The second hook, a function really, is `mh-compose-letter-function'.
Like `mh-letter-mode-hook', it is called just before editing a new
message; however, it is the last function called before you edit your
message. The consequence of this is that you can write a function to
write and send the message for you. This function is passed three
arguments: the contents of the `To:', `Subject:', and `Cc:' header
fields.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) I highly recommend that you use a "draft folder" so that you can
edit several drafts in parallel. To do so, create a folder named
`+drafts' for example, and add the profile component `Draft-Folder:
drafts' (see `mh-profile'(5)).

   (2) Actually, because MH-Letter mode inherits from Mail mode, the
hooks `text-mode-hook' and `mail-mode-hook' are run (in that order)
before `mh-letter-mode-hook'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Replying,  Next: Forwarding,  Prev: Composing,  Up: Sending Mail

8.2 Replying to Mail
====================

To compose a reply to a message, use the `r' (`mh-reply') command.

   When you reply to a message, you are first prompted with `Reply to
whom?'. You have several choices here.

     Response      Reply Goes To
     `from'        The person who sent the message. This is the default,
                   so <RET> is sufficient.
     `to'          Replies to the sender, plus all recipients in the
                   `To:' header field.
     `cc'          Forms a reply to the addresses in the
     `all'         `Mail-Followup-To:' header field if one exists;
                   otherwise forms a reply to the sender, plus all
                   recipients.

   Depending on your answer, `repl'(1) is given a different argument to
form your reply.  Specifically, a choice of `from' or none at all runs
`repl -nocc all', and a choice of `to' runs `repl -cc to'. Finally,
either `cc' or `all' runs `repl -cc all -nocc me'. If you find that
most of the time you specify one of these choices when you reply to a
message, you can change the option `mh-reply-default-reply-to' from its
default value of `Prompt' to one of the choices listed above. You can
always edit the recipients in the draft.

   Two windows are then created. One window contains the message to
which you are replying in an MH-Show buffer. Your draft, in MH-Letter
mode (*note Editing Drafts::), is in the other window. If the reply
draft was not one that you expected, check the things that affect the
behavior of `repl' which include the `repl:' profile component and the
`replcomps' and `replgroupcomps' files.

   If you supply a prefix argument (as in `C-u r'), the message you are
replying to is inserted in your reply after having first been run
through `mhl' with the format file `mhl.reply'. See `mhl'(1) or the
section Using mhl
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/shomes.html#Usisho) in the MH
book to see how you can modify the default `mhl.reply' file.

   Alternatively, you can customize the option `mh-yank-behavior' and
choose one of its `Automatically' variants to do the same thing. *Note
Inserting Letter::. If you do so, the prefix argument has no effect.

   Another way to include the message automatically in your draft is to
use `repl: -filter repl.filter' in your MH profile.

   If you include the message automatically, you can hide the MH-Show
buffer by turning off the option `mh-reply-show-message-flag'.

   If you wish to customize the header or other parts of the reply
draft, please see `repl'(1) and `mh-format'(5).

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Replying to Messages: repl
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/reprep.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Forwarding,  Next: Redistributing,  Prev: Replying,  Up: Sending Mail

8.3 Forwarding Mail
===================

To forward a message, use the `f' (`mh-forward') command. You are
prompted for the `To:' and `cc:' recipients. You are given a draft to
edit that looks like it would if you had run the MH command `forw'(1).
You can then add some text (*note Editing Drafts::).  You can forward
several messages by using a range (*note Ranges::).  All of the
messages in the range are inserted into your draft. The hook
`mh-forward-hook' is called on the draft.

   By default, the option `mh-compose-forward-as-mime-flag' is on which
means that the forwarded messages are included as attachments.  These
are inline attachments so the forwarded message should appear in the
body of your recipient's mail program. If you would prefer to forward
your messages verbatim (as text, inline), then turn off this option.
Forwarding messages verbatim works well for short, textual messages,
but your recipient won't be able to view any non-textual attachments
that were in the forwarded message. Be aware that if you have `forw:
-mime' in your MH profile, then forwarded messages will always be
included as attachments regardless of the settings of
`mh-compose-forward-as-mime-flag'.

   The format of the `Subject:' header field for forwarded messages is
controlled by the option `mh-forward-subject-format'. This option is a
string which includes two escapes (`%s'). The first `%s' is replaced
with the sender of the original message, and the second one is replaced
with the original `Subject:'. The default value of `"%s: %s"' takes a
message with the header:

     To: Bill Wohler <wohler@stop.mail-abuse.org>
     Subject: Re: 49er football
     From: Greg DesBrisay <gd@stop.mail-abuse.org>

   and creates a subject header field of:

     Subject: Greg DesBrisay: Re: 49er football

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Forwarding Messages: forw
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/forfor.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Redistributing,  Next: Editing Again,  Prev: Forwarding,  Up: Sending Mail

8.4 Redistributing Your Mail
============================

The command `M-d' (`mh-redistribute') is similar in function to
forwarding mail, but it does not allow you to edit the message, nor
does it add your name to the `From:' header field. It appears to the
recipient as if the message had come from the original sender.  When
you run this command, you are prompted for the recipients.

   For more information on redistributing messages, see `dist'(1). Also
investigate the command `e' (`mh-edit-again') for another way to
redistribute messages (*note Editing Again::).

   The option `mh-redist-full-contents-flag' must be turned on if
`dist'(1) requires the whole letter for redistribution, which is the
case if `send'(2) is compiled with the BERK option (which many people
abhor). If you find that MH will not allow you to redistribute a
message that has been redistributed before, turn off this option.

   The hook `mh-annotate-msg-hook' is run after annotating the message
and scan line (*note Sending Mail::).

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Distributing Messages with dist
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/disdis.html) in the MH book.

   (2) See the section Sending Some Mail: comp send
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/sensen.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Editing Again,  Prev: Redistributing,  Up: Sending Mail

8.5 Editing Old Drafts and Bounced Messages
===========================================

If you don't complete a draft for one reason or another, and if the
draft buffer is no longer available, you can pick your draft up again
with `e' (`mh-edit-again'). If you don't use a draft folder, your last
`draft' file will be used. If you use draft folders, you'll need to
visit the draft folder with `F v drafts <RET>', use `n' to move to the
appropriate message, and then use `e' to prepare the message for
editing.

   The `e' command can also be used to take messages that were sent to
you and to send them to more people.

   Don't use `e' to re-edit a message from a Mailer-Daemon who
complained that your mail wasn't posted for some reason or another. In
this case, use `E' (`mh-extract-rejected-mail') to prepare the message
for editing by removing the Mailer-Daemon envelope and unneeded header
fields. Fix whatever addressing problem you had, and send the message
again with `C-c C-c'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Editing Drafts,  Next: Aliases,  Prev: Sending Mail,  Up: Top

9 Editing a Draft
*****************

When you edit a message that you want to send (called a "draft" in this
case), the mode used is MH-Letter. This mode provides several commands
in addition to the normal Emacs editing commands to help you edit your
draft. These can also be found in the `Letter' menu.

`<SPC>'
     Perform completion or insert space (`mh-letter-complete-or-space').  

`M-<TAB>'
     Perform completion on header field or word preceding point
     (`mh-letter-complete').  

`, (comma)'
     Flash alias expansion (`mh-letter-confirm-address').  

`<TAB>'
     Cycle to next field (`mh-letter-next-header-field-or-indent').  

`S-<TAB>'
     Cycle to the previous header field
     (`mh-letter-previous-header-field').  

`C-c ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the MH-E commands (`mh-help').  

`C-c C-c'
     Save draft and send message (`mh-send-letter').  

`C-c C-d'
     Insert fields specified by the given identity
     (`mh-insert-identity'). *Note Identities::.  

`C-c C-e'
     Compose MIME message from MH-style directives (`mh-mh-to-mime').  

`C-c C-f C-a'
`C-c C-f a'
     Move to `Mail-Reply-To:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f C-b'
`C-c C-f b'
     Move to `Bcc:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f C-c'
`C-c C-f c'
     Move to `Cc:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f C-d'
`C-c C-f d'
     Move to `Dcc:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f C-f'
`C-c C-f f'
     Move to `Fcc:' header field (`mh-to-fcc').  

`C-c C-f C-l'
`C-c C-f l'
     Move to `Mail-Followup-To:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f C-m'
`C-c C-f m'
     Move to `From:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f C-r'
`C-c C-f r'
     Move to `Reply-To:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f C-s'
`C-c C-f s'
     Move to `Subject:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f C-t'
`C-c C-f t'
     Move to `To:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-i'
     Insert a message (`mh-insert-letter').  

`C-c C-m C-e'
     Add tag to encrypt the message (`mh-mml-secure-message-encrypt').  

`C-c C-m C-f'
`C-c C-m f'
     Add tag to forward a message (`mh-compose-forward').  

`C-c C-m C-g'
`C-c C-m g'
     Add tag to include anonymous ftp reference to a file
     (`mh-mh-compose-anon-ftp').  

`C-c C-m C-i'
`C-c C-m i'
     Add tag to include a file such as an image or sound
     (`mh-compose-insertion').  

`C-c C-m C-m'
`C-c C-m m'
     Compose MIME message from MML tags (`mh-mml-to-mime').  

`C-c C-m C-n'
`C-c C-m n'
     Remove any secure message tags (`mh-mml-unsecure-message').  

`C-c C-m C-s'
     Add tag to sign the message (`mh-mml-secure-message-sign').  

`C-c C-m C-t'
`C-c C-m t'
     Add tag to include anonymous ftp reference to a compressed tar file
     (`mh-mh-compose-external-compressed-tar').  

`C-c C-m C-u'
`C-c C-m u'
     Undo effects of `C-c C-e' (`mh-mh-to-mime-undo').  

`C-c C-m C-x'
`C-c C-m x'
     Add tag to refer to a remote file (`mh-mh-compose-external-type').  

`C-c C-m e e'
     Add tag to encrypt the message (`mh-mml-secure-message-encrypt').  

`C-c C-m e s'
     Add tag to encrypt and sign the message
     (`mh-mml-secure-message-signencrypt').  

`C-c C-m s e'
     Add tag to encrypt and sign the message
     (`mh-mml-secure-message-signencrypt').  

`C-c C-m s s'
     Add tag to sign the message (`mh-mml-secure-message-sign').  

`C-c C-o'
     Insert a newline and leave point before it (`mh-open-line').  

`C-c C-q'
     Quit editing and delete draft message (`mh-fully-kill-draft').  

`C-c C-s'
     Insert signature in message (`mh-insert-signature').  

`C-c C-t'
     Toggle display of header field at point
     (`mh-letter-toggle-header-field-display').  

`C-c C-w'
     Verify recipients, showing expansion of any aliases
     (`mh-check-whom').  

`C-c C-y'
     Insert the current message into the draft buffer
     (`mh-yank-cur-msg').  

`C-c M-d'
     Insert custom fields if recipient is found in
     `mh-auto-fields-list' (`mh-insert-auto-fields').  *Note
     Identities::.

   Several options from the `mh-letter' customization group are used
while editing a draft.

`mh-compose-insertion'
     Type of MIME message tags in messages (default: `MML' if
     available; otherwise `MH').

`mh-compose-skipped-header-fields'
     List of header fields to skip over when navigating in draft
     (default: `'("From"' `"Organization"' `"References"'
     `"In-Reply-To"' `"X-Face"' `"Face"' `"X-Image-URL"' `"X-Mailer")'.

`mh-compose-space-does-completion-flag'
     On means <SPC> does completion in message header (default: `off').

`mh-delete-yanked-msg-window-flag'
     On means delete any window displaying the message (default: `off').

`mh-extract-from-attribution-verb'
     Verb to use for attribution when a message is yanked by `C-c C-y'
     (default: `"wrote:"').

`mh-ins-buf-prefix'
     String to put before each line of a yanked or inserted message
     (default: `"> "').

`mh-letter-complete-function'
     Function to call when completing outside of address or folder
     fields (default: `ispell-complete-word').

`mh-letter-fill-column'
     Fill column to use in MH-Letter mode (default: 72).

`mh-mml-method-default'
     Default method to use in security tags (default: `PGP (MIME)' if
     support for it is available; otherwise `None').

`mh-signature-file-name'
     Source of user's signature (default: `"~/.signature"').

`mh-signature-separator-flag'
     On means a signature separator should be inserted (default: `on').

`mh-x-face-file'
     File containing X-Face or Face header field to insert in outgoing
     mail.  (default: `"~/.face"').

`mh-yank-behavior'
     Controls which part of a message is yanked by `C-c C-y' (default:
     `Body With Attribution').

   The following hooks are available.

`mail-citation-hook'
     Hook for modifying a citation just inserted in the mail buffer
     (default: `nil').

`mh-before-send-letter-hook'
     Hook run at the beginning of the `C-c C-c' command (default:
     `nil').

`mh-mh-to-mime-hook'
     Hook run on the formatted letter by `C-c C-e' (default: `nil').

`mh-insert-signature-hook'
     Hook run by `C-c C-s' after signature has been inserted (default:
     `nil').

   The following face is available.

`mh-letter-header-field'
     Editable header field value face in draft buffers.

   The commands and options introduced here are explained in more
detail in the following sections.

* Menu:

* Editing Message::
* Inserting Letter::
* Inserting Messages::
* Signature::
* Picture::
* Adding Attachments::
* Sending PGP::
* Checking Recipients::
* Sending Message::
* Killing Draft::


File: mh-e,  Node: Editing Message,  Next: Inserting Letter,  Prev: Editing Drafts,  Up: Editing Drafts

9.1 Editing the Message
=======================

Because the header is part of the message, you can edit the header
fields as you wish. However, several convenience commands exist to help
you create and edit them. For example, the command `C-c C-f C-t'
(`mh-to-field'; alternatively, `C-c C-f t') moves the cursor to the
`To:' header field, creating it if necessary. The commands for moving
to the `Cc:', `Subject:', `From:', `Reply-To:', `Mail-Reply-To:',
`Mail-Followup-To', `Bcc:', and `Dcc:' header fields are similar.

   One command behaves differently from the others, namely, `C-c C-f
C-f' (`mh-to-fcc'; alternatively, `C-c C-f f'). This command will
prompt you for the folder name in which to file a copy of the draft.
*Note Folder Selection::.

   Within the header of the message, the command
<TAB> (`mh-letter-next-header-field-or-indent') moves between fields
that are highlighted with the face `mh-letter-header-field', skipping
those fields listed in `mh-compose-skipped-header-fields'. After the
last field, this command then moves point to the message body before
cycling back to the first field. If point is already past the first
line of the message body, then this command indents by calling
`indent-relative' with the given prefix argument. The command `S-<TAB>'
(`mh-letter-previous-header-field') moves backwards between the fields
and cycles to the body of the message after the first field. Unlike the
command <TAB>, it will always take point to the last field from
anywhere in the body.

   If the field contains addresses (for example, `To:' or `Cc:') or
folders (for example, `Fcc:') then the command `M-<TAB>'
(`mh-letter-complete') will provide alias completion (*note Aliases::).
In the body of the message, `M-<TAB>' runs
`mh-letter-complete-function' instead, which is set to
`'ispell-complete-word' by default. The command `M-<TAB>'
(`mh-letter-complete') takes a prefix argument that is passed to the
`mh-letter-complete-function'. In addition, turn on the option
`mh-compose-space-does-completion-flag' to use the command <SPC>
(`mh-letter-complete-or-space') to perform completion in the header as
well; use a prefix argument to specify more than one space. Addresses
are separated by a comma; when you press the comma, the command
`mh-letter-confirm-address' flashes the alias expansion in the
minibuffer if `mh-alias-flash-on-comma' is turned on.

   Use the command `C-c C-t' `mh-letter-toggle-header-field-display' to
display truncated header fields. This command is a toggle so entering
it again will hide the field. This command takes a prefix argument: if
negative then the field is hidden, if positive then the field is
displayed (for example, `C-u C-c C-t').

   Be sure to leave a row of dashes or a blank line between the header
and the body of the message.

   The body of the message is edited as you would edit any Emacs buffer
although there are a few commands and options to assist you. You can
change the fill column in MH-Letter mode with the option
`mh-letter-fill-column'. By default, this option is 72 to allow others
to quote your message without line wrapping.

   You'll often include messages that were sent from user agents that
haven't yet realized that paragraphs consist of more than a single
line. This makes for long lines that wrap in an ugly fashion. You'll
find that `M-q' (`fill-paragraph') works well even on these quoted
messages, even if they are nested, just as long as all of the quotes
match the value of `mh-ins-buf-prefix' (*note Inserting Letter::). For
example, let's assume you have the following in your draft:

     > Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I'm currently doing. I'm \
     not sure yet whether I'm completely satisfied with my setup, but    \
     it's worked okay for me so far.

   Running `M-q' on this paragraph produces:

     > Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I'm currently doing. I'm not
     > sure yet whether I'm completely satisfied with my setup, but it's
     > worked okay for me so far.

   The command `C-c C-o' (`mh-open-line') is similar to the command
`C-o' (`open-line') in that it inserts a newline after point. It
differs in that it also inserts the right number of quoting characters
and spaces so that the next line begins in the same column as it was.
This is useful when breaking up paragraphs in replies. For example, if
this command was used when point was after the first period in the
paragraph above, the result would be this:

     > Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I'm currently doing.

     >                                                               I'm not
     > sure yet whether I'm completely satisfied with my setup, but it's
     > worked okay for me so far.


File: mh-e,  Node: Inserting Letter,  Next: Inserting Messages,  Prev: Editing Message,  Up: Editing Drafts

9.2 Inserting Letter to Which You're Replying
=============================================

It is often useful to insert a snippet of text from a letter that
someone mailed to provide some context for your reply. The command `C-c
C-y' (`mh-yank-cur-msg') does this by adding an attribution, yanking a
portion of text from the message to which you're replying, and
inserting `mh-ins-buf-prefix' (`> ') before each line.

     Michael W Thelen <thelenm@stop.mail-abuse.org> wrote:

     > Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I'm currently doing. I'm not
     > sure yet whether I'm completely satisfied with my setup, but it's
     > worked okay for me so far.

   The attribution consists of the sender's name and email address
followed by the content of the option
`mh-extract-from-attribution-verb'. This option can be set to `wrote:',
`a �crit:', and `schrieb:'. You can also use the `Custom String' menu
item to enter your own verb.

   The prefix `"> "' is the default setting for the option
`mh-ins-buf-prefix'. I suggest that you not modify this option since it
is used by many mailers and news readers: messages are far easier to
read if several included messages have all been indented by the same
string. This prefix is not inserted if you use one of the supercite
flavors of `mh-yank-behavior' or you have added a `mail-citation-hook'
as described below.

   You can also turn on the `mh-delete-yanked-msg-window-flag' option
to delete the window containing the original message after yanking it
to make more room on your screen for your reply.

   You can control how the message to which you are replying is yanked
into your reply using `mh-yank-behavior'. To include the entire
message, including the entire header, use `Body and Header'(1)(2).  Use
`Body' to yank just the body without the header. To yank only the
portion of the message following the point, set this option to `Below
Point'.

   Choose `Invoke supercite'(3) to pass the entire message and header
through supercite.

   If the `Body With Attribution' setting is used, then the message
minus the header is yanked and a simple attribution line is added at
the top using the value of the option
`mh-extract-from-attribution-verb'. This is the default.

   If the `Invoke supercite' or `Body With Attribution' settings are
used, the `-noformat' argument is passed to the `repl' program to
override a `-filter' or `-format' argument. These settings also have
`Automatically' variants that perform the action automatically when you
reply so that you don't need to use `C-c C-y' at all. Note that this
automatic action is only performed if the show buffer matches the
message being replied to.  People who use the automatic variants tend
to turn on the option `mh-delete-yanked-msg-window-flag' as well so
that the show window is never displayed.

   If the show buffer has a region, the option `mh-yank-behavior' is
ignored unless its value is one of `Attribution' variants in which case
the attribution is added to the yanked region.

   If this isn't enough, you can gain full control over the appearance
of the included text by setting `mail-citation-hook' to a function that
modifies it. This hook is ignored if the option `mh-yank-behavior' is
set to one of the supercite flavors.  Otherwise, this option controls
how much of the message is passed to the hook. The function can find
the citation between point and mark and it should leave point and mark
around the modified citation text for the next hook function. The
standard prefix `mh-ins-buf-prefix' is not added if this hook is set.

   For example, if you use the hook function `trivial-cite'
(http://shasta.cs.uiuc.edu/~lrclause/tc.html) (which is NOT part of
Emacs), set `mh-yank-behavior' to `Body and Header'.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) If you'd rather have the header cleaned up, use `C-u r' instead
of `r' when replying (*note Replying::).

   (2) In the past you would use this setting and set
`mail-citation-hook' to `supercite', but this usage is now deprecated
in favor of the `Invoke supercite' setting.

   (3) _Supercite_ is a full-bodied, full-featured, citation package
that comes standard with Emacs.


File: mh-e,  Node: Inserting Messages,  Next: Signature,  Prev: Inserting Letter,  Up: Editing Drafts

9.3 Inserting Messages
======================

Messages can be inserted with `C-c C-i' (`mh-insert-letter').  This
command prompts you for the folder and message number, which defaults
to the current message in that folder. It then inserts the messages,
indented by `mh-ins-buf-prefix' (`> ') unless `mh-yank-behavior' is set
to one of the supercite flavors in which case supercite is used to
format the message. Certain undesirable header fields (see
`mh-invisible-header-fields-compiled') are removed before insertion.

   If given a prefix argument (like `C-u C-c C-i'), the header is left
intact, the message is not indented, and `> ' is not inserted before
each line. This command leaves the mark before the letter and point
after it.


File: mh-e,  Node: Signature,  Next: Picture,  Prev: Inserting Messages,  Up: Editing Drafts

9.4 Inserting Your Signature
============================

You can insert your signature at the current cursor location with the
command `C-c C-s' (`mh-insert-signature').

   By default, the text of your signature is taken from the file
`~/.signature'. You can read from other sources by changing the option
`mh-signature-file-name'. This file may contain a "vCard" in which case
an attachment is added with the vCard.

   The option `mh-signature-file-name' may also be a symbol, in which
case that function is called. You may not want a signature separator to
be added for you; instead you may want to insert one yourself. Options
that you may find useful to do this include `mh-signature-separator'
(when inserting a signature separator) and
`mh-signature-separator-regexp' (for finding said separator).  The
function `mh-signature-separator-p', which reports `t' if the buffer
contains a separator, may be useful as well.

   A signature separator (`"-- "') will be added if the signature block
does not contain one and `mh-signature-separator-flag' is on. It is not
recommended that you change this option since various mail user agents,
including MH-E, use the separator to present the signature differently,
and to suppress the signature when replying or yanking a letter into a
draft.

   The hook `mh-insert-signature-hook' is run after the signature is
inserted. Hook functions may access the actual name of the file or the
function used to insert the signature with `mh-signature-file-name'.

   The signature can also be inserted using Identities.  *Note
Identities::.


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9.5 Inserting Your Picture
==========================

You can insert your picture in the header of your mail message so that
recipients see your face in the `From:' header field if their mail user
agent is sophisticated enough. In MH-E, this is done by placing your
image in the file named by the option `mh-x-face-file' which is
`~/.face' by default.

   If the file starts with either of the strings `X-Face:', `Face:' or
`X-Image-URL:' then the contents are added to the message header
verbatim. Otherwise it is assumed that the file contains the value of
the `X-Face:' header field.

   The `X-Face:' header field, which is a low-resolution, black and
white image, can be generated using the `compface'
(ftp://ftp.cs.indiana.edu/pub/faces/compface/compface.tar.Z) command.
The `Online X-Face Converter' (http://www.dairiki.org/xface/) is a
useful resource for quick conversion of images into `X-Face:' header
fields.

   Use the `make-face' (http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/make-face)
script to convert a JPEG image to the higher resolution, color, `Face:'
header field.

   The URL of any image can be used for the `X-Image-URL:' field and no
processing of the image is required.

   To prevent the setting of any of these header fields, either set
`mh-x-face-file' to `nil', or simply ensure that the file defined by
this option doesn't exist.

   *Note Viewing::, to see how these header fields are displayed in
MH-E.


File: mh-e,  Node: Adding Attachments,  Next: Sending PGP,  Prev: Picture,  Up: Editing Drafts

9.6 Adding Attachments
======================

MH-E has the capability to create multimedia messages. It uses the MIME
(Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) protocol(1) The MIME protocol
allows you to incorporate images, sound, video, binary files, and even
commands that fetch a file with `ftp' when your recipient reads the
message!

   If you were to create a multimedia message with plain MH commands,
you would insert `mhbuild' or `mhn' directives (henceforth called
"MH-style directives" into your draft and use the `mhbuild' command in
nmh or `mhn' command in MH and GNU mailutils to expand them. MH-E works
in much the same way, although it provides a handful of commands
prefixed with `C-c C-m' to insert the directives so you don't need to
remember the syntax of them. Remember: you can always add MH-style
directives by hand(2).

   In addition to MH-style directives, MH-E also supports MML (MIME
Meta Language) tags(3). The option `mh-compose-insertion' can be used
to choose between them. By default, this option is set to `MML' if it is
supported since it provides a lot more functionality. This option can
also be set to `MH' if MH-style directives are preferred.

   The MH-E MIME commands require a "media type" for each body part or
attachment. For example, a PDF document is of type `application/pdf'
and an HTML document is of type `text/html'. Some commands fill in the
media type for you, whereas others require you to enter one.

   In the cases where MH-E can do so, it will determine the media type
automatically. It uses the `file' command to do this. Failing that, the
Emacs function `mailcap-mime-types' is used to provide a list from
which to choose. This function usually reads the file `/etc/mime.types'.

   Whether the media type is chosen automatically, or you choose it from
a list, use the type that seems to match best the file that you are
including. In the case of binaries, the media type
`application/x-executable' can be useful. If you can't find an
appropriate media type, use `text/plain' for text messages and
`application/octet-stream' for everything else.

   You are also sometimes asked for a "content description". This is
simply an optional brief phrase, in your own words, that describes the
object. If you don't care to enter a content description, just press
return and none will be included; however, a reader may skip over
multimedia fields unless the content description is compelling.

   You can also create your own MIME body parts. In the following
example, I describe how you can create and edit a `text/enriched' body
part to liven up your plain text messages with boldface, underlining,
and italics. I include an Emacs function which inserts enriched text
tags.

     (defvar enriched-text-types '(("b" . "bold") ("i" . "italic")
                                   ("u" . "underline")
                                   ("s" . "smaller") ("B" . "bigger")
                                   ("f" . "fixed")
                                   ("c" . "center"))
       "Alist of (final-character . tag) choices for add-enriched-text.
     Additional types can be found in RFC 1563.")

     (defun add-enriched-text (begin end)
       "Add enriched text tags around region.
     The tag used comes from the list enriched-text-types and is
     specified by the last keystroke of the command.  When called from Lisp,
     arguments are BEGIN and END."
       (interactive "r")
       ;; Set type to the tag indicated by the last keystroke.
       (let ((type (cdr (assoc (char-to-string (logior last-input-char ?`))
                               enriched-text-types))))
         (save-restriction               ; restores state from narrow-to-region
           (narrow-to-region begin end)      ; narrow view to region
           (goto-char (point-min))           ; move to beginning of text
           (insert "<" type ">")             ; insert beginning tag
           (goto-char (point-max))           ; move to end of text
           (insert "</" type ">"))))         ; insert terminating tag
     Emacs function for entering enriched text

   To use the function `add-enriched-text', first add it to `~/.emacs'
and create key bindings for it (*note Composing::).

   Then, in your plain text message, set the mark with `C-@' or
`C-<SPC>', type in the text to be highlighted, and type `C-c t b'. This
adds `<bold>' where you set the mark and adds `</bold>' at the location
of your cursor, giving you something like: `You should be
<bold>very</bold>'.

   Before sending this message, use `C-c C-m C-m' (`mh-mml-to-mime')(4)
to add MIME header fields. Then replace `text/plain' with
`text/enriched' in the `Content-Type:' header field.

   You may also be interested in investigating `sgml-mode'.

Including Files
---------------

Binaries, images, sound, and video can be inserted in your message with
the command `C-c C-m C-i' (`mh-compose-insertion'). You are prompted
for the filename containing the object, the media type if it cannot be
determined automatically, and a content description. If you're using
MH-style directives, you will also be prompted for additional
attributes.

Forwarding Multimedia Messages
------------------------------

Mail may be forwarded with MIME using the command `C-c C-m C-f'
(`mh-compose-forward'). You are prompted for a content description, the
name of the folder in which the messages to forward are located, and a
range of messages, which defaults to the current message in that
folder. *Note Ranges::.

Including an FTP Reference
--------------------------

You can have your message initiate an `ftp' transfer when the recipient
reads the message. To do this, use the command `C-c C-m C-g'
(`mh-mh-compose-anon-ftp'). You are prompted for the remote host and
filename, the media type, and the content description.

Including tar Files
-------------------

If the remote file is a compressed tar file, you can use `C-c C-m C-t'
(`mh-mh-compose-external-compressed-tar'). Then, in addition to
retrieving the file via anonymous _ftp_ as per the command `C-c C-m
C-g' (`mh-mh-compose-anon-ftp'), the file will also be uncompressed and
untarred. You are prompted for the remote host and filename and the
content description.

Including Other External Files
------------------------------

The command `C-c C-m C-x' (`mh-mh-compose-external-type') is a general
utility for referencing external files. In fact, all of the other
commands that insert tags to access external files call this command.
You are prompted for the access type, remote host and filename, and
content type. If you provide a prefix argument, you are also prompted
for a content description, attributes, parameters, and a comment.

Previewing Multimedia Messages
------------------------------

When you are finished editing a MIME message, it might look like this:

     3 t08/24  root               received fax files on Wed Aug 24 11:00:
     4+t08/24  To:wohler          Test<<This is a test message to get the





     --:%%  {+inbox} 4 msgs (1-4)   Bot L4     (MH-Folder Show)---------------
     To: wohler
     cc:
     Subject: Test of MIME
     --------
     Here is the SETI@Home logo:

     <#part type="image/x-xpm" filename="~/lib/images/setiathome.xpm"
     disposition=inline description="SETI@home logo">
     <#/part>
     --:**  {draft}   All L8     (MH-Letter)----------------------------------
MH-E MIME draft

   Typically, you send a message with attachments just like any other
message (*note Sending Message::).

   However, you may take a sneak preview of the MIME encoding if you
wish by running the command `C-c C-m C-m' (`mh-mml-to-mime').  The
following screen shows the MIME encoding specified by the tags. You can
see why mail user agents are usually built to hide these details from
the user.

     To: wohler
     cc:
     Subject: Test of MIME
     X-Mailer: MH-E 8.1; nmh 1.1; GNU Emacs 23.1
     MIME-Version: 1.0
     Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=-=-="
     --------
     --=-=-=

     Here is the SETI@Home logo:


     --=-=-=
     Content-Type: image/x-xpm
     Content-Disposition: inline; filename=setiathome.xpm
     Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
     Content-Description: SETI@home logo

     LyogWFBNICovCnN0YXRpYyBjaGFyICogc2V0aWF0aG9tZV94cG1bXSA9IHsKIjQ1IDQ1IDc2N
     --:--  {draft}   Top L1     (MH-Letter)----------------------------------
MH-E MIME draft ready to send

   This action can be undone by running `C-_' (`undo').

   If you're using MH-style directives, use `C-c C-e' (`mh-mh-to-mime')
instead of `C-c C-m C-m'. This runs the command `mhbuild' (`mhn') on
the message which expands the tags(5). This action can be undone by
running `C-c C-m C-u' (`mh-mh-to-mime-undo'), which works by reverting
to a backup file. You are prompted to confirm this action, but you can
avoid the confirmation by adding an argument (for example, `C-u C-c C-m
C-u').

   If you wish to pass additional arguments to `mhbuild' (`mhn') to
affect how it builds your message, use the option `mh-mh-to-mime-args'.
For example, you can build a consistency check into the message by
setting `mh-mh-to-mime-args' to `-check'. The recipient of your message
can then run `mhbuild -check' on the message--`mhbuild' (`mhn') will
complain if the message has been corrupted on the way. The command `C-c
C-e' only consults this option when given a prefix argument (as in `C-u
C-c C-e').

   The hook `mh-mh-to-mime-hook' is called after the message has been
formatted by `C-c C-e'.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) MIME is defined in RFC 2045
(http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2045.txt).

   (2) See the section Sending MIME Mail
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/usimim.html#SeMIMa) in the MH
book.

   (3) *Note Composing with MML: (emacs-mime)Composing.

   (4) Use `C-c C-e' (`mh-mh-to-mime') if you're using MH-style
directives.

   (5) See the section Sending MIME Mail
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/usimim.html#SeMIMa) in the MH
book.


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9.7 Signing and Encrypting Messages
===================================

MH-E can sign and encrypt messages as defined in RFC 3156
(http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3156.txt). If you should choose to
sign or encrypt your message, use one of the following commands to do
so any time before sending your message.

   The command `C-c C-m C-s' (`mh-mml-secure-message-sign') inserts the
following tag:

     <#secure method=pgpmime mode=sign>

   This is used to sign your message digitally. Likewise, the command
`C-c C-m C-e' (`mh-mml-secure-message-encrypt') inserts the following
tag:

     <#secure method=pgpmime mode=encrypt>

   This is used to encrypt your message. Finally, the command `C-c C-m
s e' (`mh-mml-secure-message-signencrypt') inserts the following tag:

     <#secure method=pgpmime mode=signencrypt>

   This is used to sign and encrypt your message. In each of these
cases, a proper multipart message is created for you when you send the
message. Use the command `C-c C-m C-n' (`mh-mml-unsecure-message') to
remove these tags. Use a prefix argument (as in `C-u C-c C-m s e') to
be prompted for one of the possible security methods (see
`mh-mml-method-default').

   The option `mh-mml-method-default' is used to select between a
variety of mail security mechanisms. The default is `PGP (MIME)' if it
is supported; otherwise, the default is `None'. Other mechanisms
include vanilla `PGP' and `S/MIME'.

   The `pgg' customization group may have some settings which may
interest you.  *Note The PGG Manual: (pgg)Top.

   In particular, I turn on the option `pgg-encrypt-for-me' so that all
messages I encrypt are encrypted with my public key as well. If you
keep a copy of all of your outgoing mail with a `Fcc:' header field,
this setting is vital so that you can read the mail you write!


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9.8 Checking Recipients
=======================

The command `C-c C-w' (`mh-check-whom') expands aliases so you can
check the actual address(es) in the alias. A new buffer named `*MH-E
Recipients*' is created with the output of `whom' (*note
Miscellaneous::)(1).

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section What now? - and the whatnow Program
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/senove.html#WhaPro) in the MH
book.


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9.9 Sending a Message
=====================

When you are all through editing a message, you send it with the
command `C-c C-c' (`mh-send-letter'). You can give a prefix argument
(as in `C-u C-c C-c') to monitor the first stage of the delivery; this
output can be found in a buffer called `*MH-E Mail Delivery*' (*note
Miscellaneous::).

   The hook `mh-before-send-letter-hook' is run at the beginning of the
command `C-c C-c'. For example, if you want to check your spelling in
your message before sending, add the function `ispell-message'.

   In case the MH `send' program(1) is installed under a different
name, use `mh-send-prog' to tell MH-E the name.

   The hook `mh-annotate-msg-hook' is run after annotating the message
and scan line (*note Sending Mail::).

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Sending Some Mail: comp send
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/sensen.html) in the MH book.


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9.10 Killing the Draft
======================

If for some reason you are not happy with the draft, you can use the
command `C-c C-q' (`mh-fully-kill-draft') to kill the draft buffer and
delete the draft message. Use the command `C-x k' (`kill-buffer') if
you don't want to delete the draft message.


File: mh-e,  Node: Aliases,  Next: Identities,  Prev: Editing Drafts,  Up: Top

10 Aliases
**********

MH aliases are used in the same way in MH-E as they are in MH. Any
alias listed as a recipient will be expanded when the message is sent.
This chapter discusses other things you can do with aliases in MH-E.

   The following commands are available in MH-Letter mode with the
exception of `mh-alias-reload' which can be called from anywhere.

`<SPC>'
     Perform completion or insert space (`mh-letter-complete-or-space').  

`M-<TAB>'
     Perform completion on header field or word preceding point
     (`mh-letter-complete').  

`mh-alias-apropos'
     Show all aliases or addresses that match a regular expression.  

`mh-alias-grab-from-field'
     Add alias for the sender of the current message 

`mh-alias-reload'
     Reload MH aliases.

   The `mh-alias' customization group contains options associated with
aliases.

`mh-alias-completion-ignore-case-flag'
     On means don't consider case significant in MH alias completion
     (default: `on').

`mh-alias-expand-aliases-flag'
     On means to expand aliases entered in the minibuffer (default:
     `off').

`mh-alias-flash-on-comma'
     Specify whether to flash address or warn on translation (default:
     `Flash but Don't Warn If No Alias').

`mh-alias-insert-file'
     Filename used to store a new MH-E alias (default: `Use Aliasfile
     Profile Component').

`mh-alias-insertion-location'
     Specifies where new aliases are entered in alias files (default:
     `Alphabetical').

`mh-alias-local-users'
     If `on', local users are added to alias completion (default: `on').

`mh-alias-local-users-prefix'
     String prefixed to the real names of users from the password file
     (default: `"local."'.

`mh-alias-passwd-gecos-comma-separator-flag'
     On means the GECOS field in the password file uses a comma
     separator (default: `on').

   The following hook is available.

`mh-alias-reloaded-hook'
     Hook run by `mh-alias-reload' after loading aliases (default:
     `nil').

Adding Addresses to Draft
-------------------------

You can use aliases when you are adding recipients to a message.

   In order to use minibuffer prompting for recipients and the subject
line in the minibuffer, turn on the option `mh-compose-prompt-flag'
(*note Composing::), and use the <TAB> (`minibuffer-complete') command
to complete aliases (and optionally local logins) when prompted for the
recipients. Turn on the option `mh-alias-expand-aliases-flag' if you
want these aliases to be expanded to their respective addresses in the
draft.

   Otherwise, you can complete aliases in the header of the draft with
`M-<TAB>' (`mh-letter-complete') or <SPC>
(`mh-letter-complete-or-space').

   As MH ignores case in the aliases, so too does MH-E. However, you may
turn off the option `mh-alias-completion-ignore-case-flag' to make case
significant which can be used to segregate completion of your aliases.
You might use uppercase for mailing lists and lowercase for people. For
example, you might have:

     mark.baushke: Mark Baushke <mdb@stop.mail-abuse.org>
     MH-E: MH-E Mailing List <mh-e-devel@stop.mail-abuse.org>

   When this option is turned off, if you were to type `M' in the `To:'
field and then `M-<TAB>', then you'd get the list; if you started with
`m' and then entered `M-<TAB>', then you'd get Mark's address. Note
that this option affects completion only. If you were to enter
`Mark.Baushke', it would still be identified with your `mark.baushke'
alias.

   To verify that the alias you've entered is valid, the alias will be
displayed in the minibuffer when you type a comma
(`mh-letter-confirm-address' or `mh-alias-minibuffer-confirm-address'
if the option `mh-compose-prompt-flag' is turned on). *Note
Composing::. This behavior can be controlled with the option
`mh-alias-flash-on-comma' which provides three choices: `Flash but
Don't Warn If No Alias', `Flash and Warn If No Alias', and `Don't Flash
Nor Warn If No Alias'.

   For another way to verify the alias expansion, see *note Checking
Recipients::.

Loading Aliases
---------------

MH-E loads aliases for completion and folder name hints from various
places. It uses the MH command `ali'(1) to read aliases from the files
listed in the profile component `Aliasfile:' as well as system-wide
aliases (for example, `/etc/nmh/MailAliases').

   In addition, aliases are created from `/etc/passwd' entries with a
user ID larger than a magical number, typically 200. This can be a
handy tool on a machine where you and co-workers exchange messages.
These aliases have the form `local.FIRST.LAST' if a real name is
present in the password file. Otherwise, the alias will have the form
`local.LOGIN'.

   The prefix `local.' can be modified via the option
`mh-alias-local-users-prefix'. This option can also be set to `Use
Login'.

   For example, consider the following password file entry:

     psg:x:1000:1000:Peter S Galbraith,,,:/home/psg:/bin/tcsh

   The following settings of option `mh-alias-local-users-prefix' will
produce the associated aliases:

`"local."'
     local.peter.galbraith

`""'
     peter.galbraith

`Use Login'
     psg

   In the example above, commas are used to separate different values
within the so-called GECOS field. This is a fairly common usage.
However, in the rare case that the GECOS field in your password file is
not separated by commas and whose contents may contain commas, you can
turn the option `mh-alias-passwd-gecos-comma-separator-flag' off.

   If you're on a system with thousands of users you don't know, and the
loading of local aliases slows MH-E down noticeably, then the local
alias feature can be disabled by turning off the option
`mh-alias-local-users'. This option also takes a string which is
executed to generate the password file. For example, use `ypcat passwd'
to obtain the NIS password file.

   Since aliases are updated frequently, MH-E reloads aliases
automatically whenever an alias lookup occurs if an alias source has
changed. However, you can reload your aliases manually by calling the
command `M-x mh-alias-reload' directly. This command runs
`mh-alias-reloaded-hook' after the aliases have been loaded.

Adding Aliases
--------------

In the past, you have manually added aliases to your alias file(s)
listed in your `Aliasfile:' profile component. MH-E provides other
methods for maintaining your alias file(s).

   You can use the `M-x mh-alias-add-alias' command which will prompt
you for the alias and address that you would like to add. If the alias
exists already, you will have the choice of inserting the new alias
before or after the old alias. In the former case, this alias will be
used when sending mail to this alias. In the latter case, the alias
serves as an additional folder name hint when filing messages (*note
Folder Selection::).

   Earlier, the alias prefix `local' was presented. You can use other
prefixes to organize your aliases or disambiguate entries. You might
use prefixes for locales, jobs, or activities. For example, I have:

     ; Work
     attensity.don.mitchell: Don Mitchell <dmitchell@stop.mail-abuse.com>
     isharp.don.mitchell: Don Mitchell <donaldsmitchell@stop.mail-abuse.com>
     ...
     ; Sport
     diving.ken.mayer: Ken Mayer <kmayer@stop.mail-abuse.com>
     sailing.mike.maloney: Mike Maloney <mmaloney@stop.mail-abuse.com>
     ...
     ; Personal
     ariane.kolkmann: Ariane Kolkmann <ArianeKolkmann@stop.mail-abuse.com>
     ...

   Using prefixes instead of postfixes helps you explore aliases during
completion. If you forget the name of an old dive buddy, you can enter
`div' and then <SPC> to get a listing of all your dive buddies.

   An alias for the sender of the current message is added automatically
by clicking on the `Grab From alias' tool bar button or by running the
`M-x mh-alias-grab-from-field' command. Aliases for other recipients of
the current message are added by placing your cursor over the desired
recipient and giving the `M-x mh-alias-add-address-under-point' command.

   The options `mh-alias-insert-file' and `mh-alias-insertion-location'
controls how and where these aliases are inserted.

   The default setting of option `mh-alias-insert-file' is `Use
Aliasfile Profile Component'. This option can also hold the name of a
file or a list a file names. If this option is set to a list of file
names, or the `Aliasfile:' profile component contains more than one
file name, MH-E will prompt for one of them.

   The option `mh-alias-insertion-location' is set to `Alphabetical' by
default. If you organize your alias file in other ways, then the
settings `Top' and `Bottom' might be more appropriate.

Querying Aliases
----------------

If you can't quite remember an alias, you can use `M-x
mh-alias-apropos' to show all aliases or addresses that match a regular
expression (*note Syntax of Regular Expressions: (emacs)Regexps.).

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section MH Aliases
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/mh.html) in the MH book.


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11 Identities
*************

MH-E supports the concept of multiple personalities or identities.
This means that you can easily have a different header and signature at
home and at work.

   A couple of commands are used to insert identities in MH-Letter mode
which are also found in the `Identity' menu.

`C-c C-d'
     Insert fields specified by given identity (`mh-insert-identity').  

`C-c M-d'
     Insert custom fields if recipient found in `mh-auto-fields-list'
     (`mh-insert-auto-fields').

   The `mh-identity' customization group contains the following options.

`mh-auto-fields-list'
     List of recipients for which header lines are automatically
     inserted (default: `nil').

`mh-auto-fields-prompt-flag'
     On means to prompt before sending if fields inserted (default:
     `on')

`mh-identity-default'
     Default identity to use when `mh-letter-mode' is called (default:
     `None').

`mh-identity-handlers'
     Handler functions for fields in `mh-identity-list'.

`mh-identity-list'
     List of identities (default: `nil').

   Some of the common header fields that people change depending on the
context are the `From:' and `Organization:' fields, as well as the
signature.

   This is done by customizing the option `mh-identity-list'. In the
customization buffer for this option, click on the `INS' button and
enter a label such as `Home' or `Work'. Then click on the `INS' button
with the label `Add at least one item below'. The `Value Menu' has the
following menu items:

`From Field'
     Specify an alternate `From:' header field. You must include a
     valid email address. A standard format is `First Last
     <login@host.domain>'. If you use an initial with a period, then you
     must quote your name as in `"First I. Last" <login@host.domain>'.  

`Organization Field'
     People usually list the name of the company where they work here.

`Other Field'
     Set any arbitrary header field and value here. Unless the header
     field is a standard one, precede the name of your field's label
     with `X-', as in `X-Fruit-of-the-Day:'.

`Attribution Verb'
     This value overrides the setting of
     `mh-extract-from-attribution-verb'. *Note Inserting Letter::.  

`Signature'
     Set your signature with this item. You can specify the contents of
     `mh-signature-file-name', a file, or a function.  *Note
     Signature::.

`GPG Key ID'
     Specify a different key to sign or encrypt messages.

   You can select the identities you have added via the menu called
`Identity' in the MH-Letter buffer. You can also use `C-c C-d'
(`mh-insert-identity'). To clear the fields and signature added by the
identity, select the `None' identity.

   The `Identity' menu contains two other items to save you from having
to set the identity on every message. The menu item `Set Default for
Session' can be used to set the default identity to the current
identity until you exit Emacs. The menu item `Save as Default' sets the
option `mh-identity-default' to the current identity setting. You can
also customize the option `mh-identity-default' in the usual fashion.
If you find that you need to add another identity, the menu item
`Customize Identities' is available for your convenience.

   The option `mh-auto-fields-list' can also be used to set the
identity depending on the recipient to provide even more control. To
customize `mh-auto-fields-list', click on the `INS' button and enter a
regular expression for the recipient's address (*note Syntax of Regular
Expressions: (emacs)Regexps.).  Click on the `INS' button with the `Add
at least one item below' label. The `Value Menu' contains the following
menu items:

`Identity'
     Select an identity from those configured in `mh-identity-list'.
     All of the information for that identity will be added if the
     recipient matches.  

`Fcc Field'
     Insert an `Fcc:' header field with the folder you provide. When
     you send the message, MH will put a copy of your message in this
     folder.  

`Mail-Followup-To Field'
     Insert an `Mail-Followup-To:' header field with the recipients you
     provide. If the recipient's mail user agent supports this header
     field(1), then their replies will go to the addresses listed. This
     is useful if their replies go both to the list and to you and you
     don't have a mechanism to suppress duplicates. If you reply to
     someone not on the list, you must either remove the
     `Mail-Followup-To:' field, or ensure the recipient is also listed
     there so that he receives replies to your reply.

`Other Field'
     Other header fields may be added using this menu item.

   These fields can only be added after the recipient is known. Because
you can continue to add recipients as you edit the draft, MH-E waits
until the message is sent to perform the auto-insertions. This seems
strange at first, but you'll get used to it. There are two ways to help
you feel that the desired fields are added. The first is the action
when the message is sent: if any fields are added automatically, you
are given a chance to see and to confirm these fields before the
message is actually sent. You can do away with this confirmation by
turning off the option `mh-auto-fields-prompt-flag'. The second method
is manual: once the header contains one or more recipients, you may run
the command `C-c M-d' (`mh-insert-auto-fields') or choose the `Identity
-> Insert Auto Fields' menu item to insert these fields manually.
However, if you use this command, the automatic insertion when the
message is sent is disabled.

   You should avoid using the same header field in
`mh-auto-fields-list' and `mh-identity-list' definitions that may apply
to the same message as the result is undefined.

   The option `mh-identity-handlers' is used to change the way that
fields, signatures, and attributions in `mh-identity-list' are added.
To customize `mh-identity-handlers', replace the name of an existing
handler function associated with the field you want to change with the
name of a function you have written. You can also click on an `INS'
button and insert a field of your choice and the name of the function
you have written to handle it.

   The `Field' field can be any field that you've used in your
`mh-identity-list'. The special fields `:attribution-verb',
`:signature', or `:pgg-default-user-id' are used for the
`mh-identity-list' choices `Attribution Verb', `Signature', and `GPG
Key ID' respectively.

   The handler associated with the `:default' field is used when no
other field matches.

   The handler functions are passed two or three arguments: the field
itself (for example, `From'), or one of the special fields (for
example, `:signature'), and the action `'remove' or `'add'. If the
action is `'add', an additional argument containing the value for the
field is given.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) `Mail-Followup-To:' is supported by nmh.


File: mh-e,  Node: Speedbar,  Next: Menu Bar,  Prev: Identities,  Up: Top

12 The Speedbar
***************

You can also use the speedbar (*note Speedbar Frames: (emacs)Speedbar,)
to view your folders. To bring up the speedbar, run `M-x speedbar
<RET>'. You will see a new frame appear with all of your MH folders.
Folders with unseen messages appear in boldface. Click on a folder name
with `Mouse-2' to visit that folder in a similar fashion to the command
`F v' (`mh-visit-folder') (*note Folders::). Click on the `+' icon to
expand and view the sub-folders of that folder.

   The speedbar can be manipulated with the keyboard as well. Use the
Emacs navigational keys (like the arrow keys, or `C-n') to move the
cursor over the desired folder and then use the shortcuts for the menu
items listed in the table below.

`Visit Folder (<RET>)'
     Visits the selected folder just as if you had used `F v'
     (`mh-speed-view').  

`Expand Nested Folders (+)'
     Expands the selected folder in the speedbar, exposing the children
     folders inside it (`mh-speed-expand-folder').  

`Contract Nested Folders (-)'
     Contracts or collapses the selected folder in the speedbar, hiding
     the children folders inside it (`mh-speed-contract-folder').  

`Refresh Speedbar (r)'
     Regenerates the list of folders in the speedbar. Run this command
     if you've added or deleted a folder, or want to update the unseen
     message count before the next automatic update
     (`mh-speed-refresh').

   You can click on `Mouse-3' to bring up a context menu that contains
these items. Dismiss the speedbar with `C-x 5 0' (`delete-frame').

   The MH-E speedbar uses the MH command `flists'(1) to generate the
list of folders. The `mh-speedbar' customization group contains the
following option which controls how often the speedbar calls `flists'.

`mh-speed-update-interval'
     Time between speedbar updates in seconds (default: 60). Set to 0 to
     disable automatic update.

   You can modify the appearance of the folders in the speedbar by
customizing the following faces.

`mh-speedbar-folder'
     Basic folder face.

`mh-speedbar-folder-with-unseen-messages'
     Folder face when folder contains unread messages.

`mh-speedbar-selected-folder'
     Selected folder face.

`mh-speedbar-selected-folder-with-unseen-messages'
     Selected folder face when folder contains unread messages.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Searching for Sequences with flist
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/morseq.html#flist) in the MH
book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Menu Bar,  Next: Tool Bar,  Prev: Speedbar,  Up: Top

13 The Menu Bar
***************

For those of you who prefer to mouse and menu instead of using the
meta-coke-bottle-bucky keys, MH-E provides menu items for most of its
functions. The MH-Folder buffer adds the `Folder', `Message', and
`Sequence' menus. The MH-Letter buffer adds the `Identity' and `Letter'
menus. The MH-Search buffer adds the `Search' menu. There's no need to
list the actual items here, as you can more easily see them for
yourself, and the functions are already described elsewhere in this
manual.

   For a description of the menu bar, please *Note The Menu Bar:
(emacs)Menu Bar.

   The Emacs manual describes how to get online help for a particular
menu item. You can also look up a menu item in the index of this manual
in two ways: all of the menu items are listed alphabetically, and you
can also browse all of the items under the index entry `menu item'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Tool Bar,  Next: Searching,  Prev: Menu Bar,  Up: Top

14 The Tool Bar
***************

Emacs also provides a graphical tool bar. For a description of the tool
bar, please *Note Tool Bars: (emacs)Tool Bars.

   MH-E adds several icons to this tool bar; you can modify the MH-E
aspects of the tool bar via the `mh-tool-bar' customization group.

`mh-tool-bar-folder-buttons'
     List of buttons to include in MH-Folder tool bar (default: a
     checklist too long to list here).

`mh-tool-bar-letter-buttons'
     List of buttons to include in MH-Letter tool bar (default: a
     checklist too long to list here).

`mh-tool-bar-search-function'
     Function called by the tool bar search button (default:
     `mh-search').

`mh-xemacs-tool-bar-position'
     Tool bar location (default: `Same As Default Tool Bar').

`mh-xemacs-use-tool-bar-flag'
     If `on', use tool bar (default: `on', if supported).

   In GNU Emacs, icons for some of MH-E's functions are added to the
tool bar. In XEmacs, you have the opportunity to create a separate tool
bar for the MH-E icons.

   In either case, you can select which of these functions you'd like to
see by customizing the options `mh-tool-bar-folder-buttons' and
`mh-tool-bar-letter-buttons'. As you probably guessed, the former
customizes the tool bar in MH-Folder mode and the latter in MH-Letter
mode. Both of these options present you with a list of functions; check
the functions whose icons you want to see and clear the check boxes for
those you don't.

   The function associated with the searching icon can be set via the
option `mh-tool-bar-search-function'. By default, this is set to
`mh-search'. *Note Searching::. You can also choose `Other Function'
from the `Value Menu' and enter a function of your own choosing.

   XEmacs provides a couple of extra options. The first,
`mh-xemacs-use-tool-bar-flag', controls whether to show the MH-E icons
at all. By default, this option is turned on if the window system
supports tool bars. If your system doesn't support tool bars, then you
won't be able to turn on this option.

   The second extra option is `mh-xemacs-tool-bar-position' which
controls the placement of the tool bar along the four edges of the
frame. You can choose from one of `Same As Default Tool Bar', `Top',
`Bottom', `Left', or `Right'. If this variable is set to anything other
than `Same As Default Tool Bar' and the default tool bar is in a
different location, then two tool bars will be displayed: the MH-E tool
bar and the default tool bar.


File: mh-e,  Node: Searching,  Next: Threading,  Prev: Tool Bar,  Up: Top

15 Searching Through Messages
*****************************

Earlier, the command `F s' (`mh-search') was introduced which helps you
find messages that lie buried in your folders (*note Folders::). This
chapter covers this command in more detail.  Several commands are used
to compose the search criteria and to start searching. A couple of them
can be found in the `Search' menu.

`C-c ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the MH-E commands (`mh-help').  

`C-c C-c'
     Find messages using `mh-search-program' (`mh-index-do-search').  

`C-c C-p'
     Find messages using `pick' (`mh-pick-do-search').  

`C-c ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the MH-E commands (`mh-help').  

`C-c C-f a'
`C-c C-f C-a'
     Move to `Mail-Reply-To:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f b'
`C-c C-f C-b'
     Move to `Bcc:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f c'
`C-c C-f C-c'
     Move to `Cc:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f d'
`C-c C-f C-d'
     Move to `Dcc:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f f'
`C-c C-f C-f'
     Move to `Fcc:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f l'
`C-c C-f C-l'
     Move to `Mail-Followup-To:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f m'
`C-c C-f C-m'
     Move to `From:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f r'
`C-c C-f C-r'
     Move to `Reply-To:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f s'
`C-c C-f C-s'
     Move to `Subject:' header field (`mh-to-field').  

`C-c C-f t'
`C-c C-f C-t'
     Move to `To:' header field (`mh-to-field').

   Another few commands are available in the MH-Folder buffer resulting
from a search.

`<TAB>'
     Jump to the next folder marker (`mh-index-next-folder').  

`S-<TAB>'
     Jump to the previous folder marker (`mh-index-previous-folder').  

`v'
     Visit original folder from where the message at point was found
     (`mh-index-visit-folder').

   There is one option from the `mh-search' customization group used in
searching.

`mh-search-program'
     Search program that MH-E shall use (default: `Auto-detect').

   The following hook is available.

`mh-search-mode-hook'
     Hook run upon entry to `mh-search-mode' (default: `nil').

   The following face is available.

`mh-search-folder'
     Folder heading face in MH-Folder buffers created by searches.

   The command `F s' (`mh-search-folder') helps you find messages in
your entire corpus of mail. You can search for messages to or from a
particular person or about a particular subject. In fact, you can also
search for messages containing selected strings in any arbitrary header
field or any string found within the messages.

   Out of the box, MH-E uses `pick' to find messages. With a little
extra effort, you can set an indexing program which rewards you with
extremely quick results. The drawback is that sometimes the index does
not contain the words you're looking for. You can still use `pick' in
these situations.

   You are prompted for the folder to search. This can be `all' to
search all folders. Note that the search works recursively on the
listed folder.

   Next, an MH-Search buffer appears where you can enter search
criteria.

     From:
     To:
     Cc:
     Date:
     Subject:
     --------
     #








     --:**  search-pattern   All L7     (MH-Search)---------------------------
     Type C-c C-c to search messages, C-c C-p to use pick, C-c ? for help
Search window

   Edit this template by entering your search criteria in an appropriate
header field that is already there, or create a new field yourself. If
the string you're looking for could be anywhere in a message, then
place the string underneath the row of dashes.

   As an example, let's say that we want to find messages from Ginnean
about horseback riding in the Kosciusko National Park (Australia)
during January, 1994. Normally we would start with a broad search and
narrow it down if necessary to produce a manageable amount of data, but
we'll cut to the chase and create a fairly restrictive set of criteria
as follows:

     From: ginnean
     To:
     Cc:
     Date: Jan 1994
     Subject:
     --------
     horse
     kosciusko

   As with MH-Letter mode, MH-Search provides commands like `C-c C-f
C-t' (`mh-to-field') to help you fill in the blanks.  *Note Editing
Message::.

   If you find that you do the same thing over and over when editing the
search template, you may wish to bind some shortcuts to keys. This can
be done with the variable `mh-search-mode-hook', which is called when
`F s' is run on a new pattern.

   To perform the search, type `C-c C-c' (`mh-index-do-search').
Sometimes you're searching for text that is either not indexed, or
hasn't been indexed yet. In this case you can override the default
method with the pick method by running the command `C-c C-p'
(`mh-pick-do-search').

   The messages that are found are put in a temporary sub-folder of
`+mhe-index' and are displayed in an MH-Folder buffer. This buffer is
special because it displays messages from multiple folders; each set of
messages from a given folder has a heading with the folder name. The
appearance of the heading can be modified by customizing the face
`mh-search-folder'. You can jump back and forth between the headings
using the commands `<TAB>' (`mh-index-next-folder') and `S-<TAB>'
(`mh-index-previous-folder').

   In addition, the command `v' (`mh-index-visit-folder') can be used
to visit the folder of the message at point. Initially, only the
messages that matched the search criteria are displayed in the folder.
While the temporary buffer has its own set of message numbers, the
actual messages numbers are shown in the visited folder. Thus, the
command `v' is useful to find the actual message number of an
interesting message, or to view surrounding messages with the command
`F r' `mh-rescan-folder'. *Note Folders::.

   Because this folder is temporary, you'll probably get in the habit of
killing it when you're done with `F k' (`mh-kill-folder').  *Note
Folders::.

   You can regenerate the results by running `F s' with a prefix
argument.

   Note: This command uses an `X-MHE-Checksum:' header field to cache
the MD5 checksum of a message. This means that if an incoming message
already contains an `X-MHE-Checksum:' field, that message might not be
found by this command. The following `procmail' recipe avoids this
problem by renaming the existing header field:

     :0 wf
     | formail -R "X-MHE-Checksum" "X-Old-MHE-Checksum"

   *Note Limits::, for an alternative interface to searching.

15.1 Configuring Indexed Searches
=================================

The command `F s' (`mh-search') runs the command defined by the option
`mh-search-program'. The default value is `Auto-detect' which means
that MH-E will automatically choose one of `swish++', `swish-e',
`mairix', `namazu', `pick' and `grep' in that order. If, for example,
you have both `swish++' and `mairix' installed and you want to use
`mairix', then you can set this option to `mairix'.

   The following sub-sections describe how to set up the various
indexing programs to use with MH-E.

15.1.1 swish++
--------------

In the examples below, replace `/home/user/Mail' with the path to your
MH directory.

   First create the directory `/home/user/Mail/.swish++'. Then create
the file `/home/user/Mail/.swish++/swish++.conf' with the following
contents:

     IncludeMeta         Bcc Cc Comments Content-Description From Keywords
     IncludeMeta         Newsgroups Resent-To Subject To
     IncludeMeta         Message-Id References In-Reply-To
     IncludeFile         Mail    *
     IndexFile           /home/user/Mail/.swish++/swish++.index

   Use the following command line to generate the swish index. Run this
daily from cron:

     find /home/user/Mail -path /home/user/Mail/mhe-index -prune \
                          -o -path /home/user/Mail/.swish++ -prune \
                          -o -name "[0-9]*" -print \
         | index -c /home/user/Mail/.swish++/swish++.conf -

   This command does not index the folders that hold the results of your
searches in `+mhe-index' since they tend to be ephemeral and the
original messages are indexed anyway.

   On some systems (Debian GNU/Linux, for example), use `index++'
instead of `index'.

15.1.2 swish
------------

In the examples below, replace `/home/user/Mail' with the path to your
MH directory.

   First create the directory `/home/user/Mail/.swish'. Then create the
file `/home/user/Mail/.swish/config' with the following contents:

     DefaultContents TXT*
     IndexDir /home/user/Mail
     IndexFile /home/user/Mail/.swish/index
     IndexName "Mail Index"
     IndexDescription "Mail Index"
     IndexPointer "http://nowhere"
     IndexAdmin "nobody"
     #MetaNames automatic
     IndexReport 3
     FollowSymLinks no
     UseStemming no
     IgnoreTotalWordCountWhenRanking yes
     WordCharacters abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789-
     BeginCharacters abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
     EndCharacters abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789
     IgnoreLimit 50 1000
     IndexComments 0
     FileRules filename contains \D
     FileRules pathname contains /home/user/Mail/.swish
     FileRules pathname contains /home/user/Mail/mhe-index
     FileRules filename is index

   This configuration does not index the folders that hold the results
of your searches in `+mhe-index' since they tend to be ephemeral and
the original messages are indexed anyway.

   If there are any directories you would like to ignore, append lines
like the following to `config':

     FileRules pathname contains /home/user/Mail/scripts

   Use the following command line to generate the swish index. Run this
daily from cron:

     swish-e -c /home/user/Mail/.swish/config

15.1.3 mairix
-------------

In the examples below, replace `/home/user/Mail' with the path to your
MH directory.

   First create the directory `/home/user/Mail/.mairix'. Then create
the file `/home/user/Mail/.mairix/config' with the following contents:

     base=/home/user/Mail

     # List of folders that should be indexed. 3 dots at the end means there
     # are subfolders within the folder
     mh=archive...:inbox:drafts:news:sent:trash

     vfolder_format=mh
     database=/home/user/Mail/.mairix/database

   Use the following command line to generate the mairix index. Run
this daily from cron:

     mairix -f /home/user/Mail/.mairix/config

15.1.4 namazu
-------------

In the examples below, replace `/home/user/Mail' with the path to your
MH directory.

   First create the directory `/home/user/Mail/.namazu'. Then create
the file `/home/user/Mail/.namazu/mknmzrc' with the following contents:

     package conf;  # Don't remove this line!
     $ADDRESS = 'user@localhost';
     $ALLOW_FILE = "[0-9]*";
     $EXCLUDE_PATH = "^/home/user/Mail/(mhe-index|spam)";

   This configuration does not index the folders that hold the results
of your searches in `+mhe-index' since they tend to be ephemeral and
the original messages are indexed anyway.

   Use the following command line to generate the namazu index. Run this
daily from cron:

     mknmz -f /home/user/Mail/.namazu/mknmzrc -O /home/user/Mail/.namazu \
           -q /home/user/Mail

15.1.5 pick
-----------

This search method does not require any setup.

   Read `pick'(1) or the section Finding Messages with pick
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/finpic.html) in the MH book to
find out more about how to enter the criteria.

15.1.6 grep
-----------

This search method does not require any setup.

   Unlike the other search methods, this method does not use the
MH-Search buffer. Instead, you simply enter a regular expression in the
minibuffer. For help in constructing regular expressions, see your man
page for `grep'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Threading,  Next: Limits,  Prev: Searching,  Up: Top

16 Viewing Message Threads
**************************

MH-E groups messages by "threads" which are messages that are part of
the same discussion and usually all have the same `Subject:' header
field. Other ways to organize messages in a folder include limiting
(*note Limits::) or using full-text indexed searches (*note
Searching::).

   A thread begins with a single message called a "root". All replies
to the same message are "siblings" of each other. Any message that has
replies to it is an "ancestor" of those replies.

   There are several commands that you can use to navigate and operate
on threads.

`T ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`T o'
     Refile (output) thread into folder (`mh-thread-refile').  

`T d'
     Delete thread (`mh-thread-delete').  

`T t'
     Toggle threaded view of folder (`mh-toggle-threads').  

`T n'
     Display next sibling (`mh-thread-next-sibling').  

`T p'
     Display previous sibling (`mh-thread-previous-sibling').  

`T u'
     Display ancestor of current message (`mh-thread-ancestor').

   The `mh-thread' customization group contains one option.

`mh-show-threads-flag'
     On means new folders start in threaded mode (default: `off').

   Threading large number of messages can be time consuming so the
option `mh-show-threads-flag' is turned off by default. If you turn on
this option, then threading will be done only if the number of messages
being threaded is less than `mh-large-folder'. In any event, threading
can be turned on (and off) with the command `T t' (`mh-toggle-threads').

   There are a few commands to help you navigate threads. If you do not
care for the way a particular thread has turned, you can move up the
chain of messages with the command `T u' (`mh-thread-ancestor'. At any
point you can use `T n' (`mh-thread-next-sibling' or `T p'
(`mh-thread-previous-sibling') to jump to the next or previous sibling,
skipping the sub-threads. The command `T u' can also take a prefix
argument to jump to the message that started everything.

   There are threaded equivalents for the commands that delete and
refile messages. For example, `T o' (`mh-thread-refile') refiles the
current message and all its children. Similarly, the command `T d'
(`mh-thread-delete') deletes the current message and all its children.
These commands do not refile or delete sibling messages.  *Note
Navigating::, for a description of the similar command `k'
(`mh-delete-subject-or-thread').

   If you find that threading is too slow, it may be that you have
`mh-large-folder' set too high. Also, threading is one of the few
features of MH-E that really benefits from compiling. If you haven't
compiled MH-E, I encourage you to do so(1).

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) If you're not sure if MH-E has been byte-compiled, you could try
running `locate mh-thread.elc' or otherwise find MH-E on your system
and ensure that `mh-thread.elc' exists. If you have multiple versions
and you find that one is compiled but the other is not, then go into
your `*scratch*' buffer in Emacs, enter `load-path C-j', and ensure
that the byte-compiled version appears first in the `load-path'. If you
find that MH-E is not compiled and you installed MH-E yourself, please
refer to the installation directions in the file `README' in the
distribution.


File: mh-e,  Node: Limits,  Next: Sequences,  Prev: Threading,  Up: Top

17 Limiting Display
*******************

Another way to organize messages in a folder besides threading (*note
Threading::) or using full-text indexed searches (*note Searching::) is
by limiting the folder display to messages that are similar to the
current message.

`/ ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`/ ''
     Limit to messages in the `tick' sequence (`mh-narrow-to-tick').  

`/ c'
     Limit to messages with the same `Cc:' field (`mh-narrow-to-cc').  

`/ m'
     Limit to messages with the same `From:' field
     (`mh-narrow-to-from').  

`/ g'
     Limit to range (`mh-narrow-to-range').  

`/ s'
     Limit to messages with the same `Subject:' field
     (`mh-narrow-to-subject').  

`/ t'
     Limit to messages with the same `To:' field (`mh-narrow-to-to').  

`/ w'
     Remove last restriction (`mh-widen').

   All of the limiting commands above refine the display in some way.

   The commands `/ c' (`mh-narrow-to-cc'), `/ m' (`mh-narrow-to-from'),
`/ s' (`mh-narrow-to-subject'), and `/ t' (`mh-narrow-to-to') restrict
the display to messages matching the content of the respective field in
the current message. However, you can give any of these a prefix
argument to edit the `pick' expression used to narrow the view(1).

   You can also limit the display to messages in the `tick' sequence
with the command `/ '' (`mh-narrow-to-tick').  *Note Sequences::, for
information on putting message into the `tick' sequence. Use the `/ g'
(`mh-narrow-to-range') command to limit the display to messages in a
range (*note Ranges::).

   Each limit can be undone in turn with the `/ w' (`mh-widen')
command. Give this command a prefix argument to remove all limits.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See `pick'(1) or the section Finding Messages with pick
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/finpic.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Sequences,  Next: Junk,  Prev: Limits,  Up: Top

18 Using Sequences
******************

For the whole scoop on MH sequences, refer to `mh-sequence'(5)(1). As
you've read, several of the MH-E commands can operate on a sequence,
which is a shorthand for a range or group of messages. For example, you
might want to forward several messages to a friend or colleague. Here's
how to manipulate sequences. These commands are also available in the
`Sequence' menu.

`''
     Toggle tick mark of range (`mh-toggle-tick').  

`S ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`S ''
     Limit to ticked messages (`mh-narrow-to-tick').  

`S d'
     Delete range from sequence (`mh-delete-msg-from-seq').  

`S k'
     Delete sequence (`mh-delete-seq').  

`S l'
     List all sequences in folder (`mh-list-sequences').  

`S n'
     Restrict display to messages in sequence (`mh-narrow-to-seq').  

`S p'
     Add range to sequence (`mh-put-msg-in-seq').  

`S s'
     Display the sequences in which the current message appears
     (`mh-msg-is-in-seq').  

`S w'
     Remove last restriction (`mh-widen').  

`M-x mh-update-sequences'
     Flush MH-E's state out to MH.

   The `mh-sequences' customization group contains the options
associated with sequences.

`mh-refile-preserves-sequences-flag'
     On means that sequences are preserved when messages are refiled
     (default: `on').

`mh-tick-seq'
     The name of the MH sequence for ticked messages (default: `'tick').

`mh-update-sequences-after-mh-show-flag'
     On means flush MH sequences to disk after message is shown
     (default: `on').

   The following hook is available.

`mh-unseen-updated-hook'
     Hook run after the unseen sequence has been updated (default:
     `nil').

   To place a message in a sequence, use `S p' (`mh-put-msg-in-seq').
Give `S p' a range and you can add all the messages in a sequence to
another sequence (for example, `C-u S p SourceSequence <RET>
DestSequence <RET>', *note Ranges::).

   One specific use of the `S p' command is `'' (`mh-toggle-tick')
which adds messages to the `tick' sequence. This sequence can be viewed
later with the `F '' (`mh-index-ticked-messages') command (*note
Folders::).

   You can customize the option `mh-tick-seq' if you already use the
`tick' sequence for your own use. You can also disable all of the
ticking functions by choosing the `Disable Ticking' item but there
isn't much advantage to that.

   Once you've placed some messages in a sequence, you may wish to
narrow the field of view to just those messages in the sequence you've
created. To do this, use `S n' (`mh-narrow-to-seq'). You are prompted
for the name of the sequence. What this does is show only those
messages that are in the selected sequence in the MH-Folder buffer. In
addition, it limits further MH-E searches to just those messages. To
narrow the view to the messages in the `tick' sequence, use `S ''
(`mh-narrow-to-tick'). When you want to widen the view to all your
messages again, use `S w' (`mh-widen').

   You can see which sequences in which a message appears with the
command `S s' (`mh-msg-is-in-seq'). Use a prefix argument to display
the sequences in which another message appears (as in `C-u 42 S s
<RET>'). Or, you can list all sequences in a selected folder (default
is current folder) with `S l' (`mh-list-sequences'). The list appears
in a buffer named `*MH-E Sequences*' (*note Miscellaneous::).

   If a message is in any sequence (except `Previous-Sequence:'(2) and
`cur') when it is refiled, then it will still be in those sequences in
the destination folder. If this behavior is not desired, then turn off
the option `mh-refile-preserves-sequences-flag'.

   If you want to remove a message (or range, *note Ranges::) from a
sequence, use `S d' (`mh-delete-msg-from-seq'). If you want to delete
an entire sequence, use `S k' (`mh-delete-seq'). In the latter case you
are prompted for the sequence to delete. Note that this deletes only
the sequence, not the messages in the sequence. If you want to delete
the messages, use `C-u d' (*note Reading Mail::).

   Three sequences are maintained internally by MH-E and pushed out to
MH when a message is shown. They include the sequence specified by your
`Unseen-Sequence:' profile component, `cur', and the sequence listed by
the option `mh-tick-seq' which is `tick' by default. If you do not like
this behavior, turn off the option
`mh-update-sequences-after-mh-show-flag'. You can then update the state
manually with the `x', `q', or `M-x mh-update-sequences' commands.

   The hook `mh-unseen-updated-hook' is run after the unseen sequence
has been updated. The variable `mh-seen-list' can be used by this hook
to obtain the list of messages which were removed from the unseen
sequence.

   With the exceptions of `S n' and `S w', the underlying MH command
dealing with sequences is `mark'(3).

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section More About Sequences
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/morseq.html) in the MH book.

   (2) See `mh-profile'(5)).

   (3) See the section Make Message Bookmarks with mark
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/mmbwm.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Junk,  Next: Miscellaneous,  Prev: Sequences,  Up: Top

19 Dealing With Junk Mail
*************************

Marshall Rose once wrote a paper on MH entitled, `How to process 200
messages a day and still get some real work done'. This chapter could
be entitled, `How to process 1000 spams a day and still get some real
work done'.

   We use the terms "junk mail" and "spam" interchangeably for any
unwanted message which includes spam, "viruses", and "worms". The
opposite of spam is "ham". The act of classifying a sender as one who
sends junk mail is called "blacklisting"; the opposite is called
"whitelisting".

`J ?'
     Display cheat sheet for the commands of the current prefix in
     minibuffer (`mh-prefix-help').  

`J b'
     Blacklist range as spam (`mh-junk-blacklist').  

`J w'
     Whitelist range as ham (`mh-junk-whitelist').

``mh-spamassassin-identify-spammers''
     Identify spammers who are repeat offenders.

   The following table lists the options from the `mh-junk'
customization group.

`mh-junk-background'
     If on, spam programs are run in background (default: `off').

`mh-junk-disposition'
     Disposition of junk mail (default: `Delete Spam').

`mh-junk-program'
     Spam program that MH-E should use (default: `Auto-detect').

   MH-E depends on SpamAssassin (http://spamassassin.apache.org/),
bogofilter (http://bogofilter.sourceforge.net/), or SpamProbe
(http://spamprobe.sourceforge.net/) to throw the dreck away. This
chapter describes briefly how to configure these programs to work well
with MH-E and how to use MH-E's interface that provides continuing
education for these programs.

   The default setting of the option `mh-junk-program' is `Auto-detect'
which means that MH-E will automatically choose one of SpamAssassin,
bogofilter, or SpamProbe in that order. If, for example, you have both
SpamAssassin and bogofilter installed and you want to use bogofilter,
then you can set this option to `Bogofilter'.

   The command `J b' (`mh-junk-blacklist') trains the spam program in
use with the content of the range (*note Ranges::) and then handles the
message(s) as specified by the option `mh-junk-disposition'. By
default, this option is set to `Delete Spam' but you can also specify
the name of the folder which is useful for building a corpus of spam
for training purposes.

   In contrast, the command `J w' (`mh-junk-whitelist') reclassifies a
range of messages (*note Ranges::) as ham if it were incorrectly
classified as spam. It then refiles the message into the `+inbox'
folder.

   By default, the programs are run in the foreground, but this can be
slow when junking large numbers of messages. If you have enough memory
or don't junk that many messages at the same time, you might try
turning on the option `mh-junk-background'. (1)

   The following sections discuss the various counter-spam measures that
MH-E can work with.

SpamAssassin
------------

SpamAssassin is one of the more popular spam filtering programs. Get it
from your local distribution or from the SpamAssassin web site
(http://spamassassin.apache.org/).

   To use SpamAssassin, add the following recipes to `~/.procmailrc':

     PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin/mh
     MAILDIR=$HOME/`mhparam Path`

     # Fight spam with SpamAssassin.
     :0fw
     | spamc

     # Anything with a spam level of 10 or more is junked immediately.
     :0:
     * ^X-Spam-Level: ..........
     /dev/null

     :0:
     * ^X-Spam-Status: Yes
     spam/.

   If you don't use `spamc', use `spamassassin -P -a'.

   Note that one of the recipes above throws away messages with a score
greater than or equal to 10. Here's how you can determine a value that
works best for you.

   First, run `spamassassin -t' on every mail message in your archive
and use `gnumeric' to verify that the average plus the standard
deviation of good mail is under 5, the SpamAssassin default for "spam".

   Using `gnumeric', sort the messages by score and view the messages
with the highest score. Determine the score which encompasses all of
your interesting messages and add a couple of points to be
conservative. Add that many dots to the `X-Spam-Level:' header field
above to send messages with that score down the drain.

   In the example above, messages with a score of 5-9 are set aside in
the `+spam' folder for later review. The major weakness of rules-based
filters is a plethora of false positives so it is worthwhile to check.

   If SpamAssassin classifies a message incorrectly, or is unsure, you
can use the MH-E commands `J b' (`mh-junk-blacklist') and `J w'
(`mh-junk-whitelist').

   The command `J b' (`mh-junk-blacklist') adds a `blacklist_from'
entry to `~/spamassassin/user_prefs', deletes the message, and sends
the message to the Razor, so that others might not see this spam. If
the `sa-learn' command is available, the message is also recategorized
as spam.

   The command`J w' (`mh-junk-whitelist') adds a `whitelist_from' rule
to `~/.spamassassin/user_prefs'. If the `sa-learn' command is
available, the message is also recategorized as ham.

   Over time, you'll observe that the same host or domain occurs
repeatedly in the `blacklist_from' entries, so you might think that you
could avoid future spam by blacklisting all mail from a particular
domain. The utility function `mh-spamassassin-identify-spammers' helps
you do precisely that.  This function displays a frequency count of the
hosts and domains in the `blacklist_from' entries from the last blank
line in `~/.spamassassin/user_prefs' to the end of the file. This
information can be used so that you can replace multiple
`blacklist_from' entries with a single wildcard entry such as:

     blacklist_from *@*amazingoffersdirect2u.com

   In versions of SpamAssassin (2.50 and on) that support a Bayesian
classifier, `J b' `(mh-junk-blacklist') uses the program `sa-learn' to
recategorize the message as spam. Neither MH-E, nor SpamAssassin,
rebuilds the database after adding words, so you will need to run
`sa-learn --rebuild' periodically. This can be done by adding the
following to your `crontab':

     0 * * * *       sa-learn --rebuild > /dev/null 2>&1

Bogofilter
----------

Bogofilter is a Bayesian spam filtering program. Get it from your local
distribution or from the bogofilter web site
(http://bogofilter.sourceforge.net/).

   Bogofilter is taught by running:

     bogofilter -n < good-message

   on every good message, and

     bogofilter -s < spam-message

   on every spam message. This is called a "full training"; three other
training methods are described in the FAQ that is distributed with
bogofilter. Note that most Bayesian filters need 1000 to 5000 of each
type of message to start doing a good job.

   To use bogofilter, add the following recipes to `~/.procmailrc':

     PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin/mh
     MAILDIR=$HOME/`mhparam Path`

     # Fight spam with Bogofilter.
     :0fw
     | bogofilter -3 -e -p

     :0:
     * ^X-Bogosity: Yes, tests=bogofilter
     spam/.

     :0:
     * ^X-Bogosity: Unsure, tests=bogofilter
     spam/unsure/.

   If bogofilter classifies a message incorrectly, or is unsure, you can
use the MH-E commands `J b' (`mh-junk-blacklist') and `J w'
(`mh-junk-whitelist') to update bogofilter's training.

   The `Bogofilter FAQ' suggests that you run the following
occasionally to shrink the database:

     bogoutil -d wordlist.db | bogoutil -l wordlist.db.new
     mv wordlist.db wordlist.db.prv
     mv wordlist.db.new wordlist.db

   The `Bogofilter tuning HOWTO' describes how you can fine-tune
bogofilter.

SpamProbe
---------

SpamProbe is a Bayesian spam filtering program. Get it from your local
distribution or from the SpamProbe web site
(http://spamprobe.sourceforge.net).

   To use SpamProbe, add the following recipes to `~/.procmailrc':

     PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin/mh
     MAILDIR=$HOME/`mhparam Path`

     # Fight spam with SpamProbe.
     :0
     SCORE=| spamprobe receive

     :0 wf
     | formail -I "X-SpamProbe: $SCORE"

     :0:
     *^X-SpamProbe: SPAM
     spam/.

   If SpamProbe classifies a message incorrectly, you can use the MH-E
commands `J b' (`mh-junk-blacklist') and `J w' (`mh-junk-whitelist') to
update SpamProbe's training.

Other Things You Can Do
-----------------------

There are a couple of things that you can add to `~/.procmailrc' in
order to filter out a lot of spam and viruses. The first is to
eliminate any message with a Windows executable (which is most likely a
virus). The second is to eliminate mail in character sets that you
can't read.

     PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin/mh
     MAILDIR=$HOME/`mhparam Path`

     #
     # Filter messages with win32 executables/virii.
     #
     # These attachments are base64 and have a TVqQAAMAAAAEAAAA//8AALg
     # pattern. The string "this program cannot be run in MS-DOS mode"
     # encoded in base64 is 4fug4AtAnNIbg and helps to avoid false
     # positives (Roland Smith via Pete from the bogofilter mailing list).
     #
     :0 B:
     * ^Content-Transfer-Encoding:.*base64
     * ^TVqQAAMAAAAEAAAA//8AALg
     * 4fug4AtAnNIbg
     spam/exe/.

     #
     # Filter mail in unreadable character sets (from the Bogofilter FAQ).
     #
     UNREADABLE='[^?"]*big5|iso-2022-jp|ISO-2022-KR|euc-kr|gb2312|ks_c_5601-1987'

     :0:
     * 1^0 $ ^Subject:.*=\?($UNREADABLE)
     * 1^0 $ ^Content-Type:.*charset="?($UNREADABLE)
     spam/unreadable/.

     :0:
     * ^Content-Type:.*multipart
     * B ?? $ ^Content-Type:.*^?.*charset="?($UNREADABLE)
     spam/unreadable/.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) Note that the option `mh-junk-background' is used as the
`display' argument in the call to `call-process'. Therefore, turning on
this option means setting its value to `0'. You can also set its value
to `t' to direct the programs' output to the `*MH-E Log*' buffer; this
may be useful for debugging.


File: mh-e,  Node: Miscellaneous,  Next: Scan Line Formats,  Prev: Junk,  Up: Top

20 Miscellaneous Commands, Variables, and Buffers
*************************************************

This chapter covers the following command and the various MH-E buffers,

`mh-version'
     Display version information about MH-E and the MH mail handling
     system.

   One command worth noting is `M-x mh-version'. You can compare the
version this command prints to the latest release (*note Getting
MH-E::). The output of `M-x mh-version', found in a buffer named `*MH-E
Info*', should usually be included with any bug report you submit
(*note Bug Reports::).

MH-E Buffers
------------

Besides the MH-Folder, MH-Show, and MH-Letter buffers, MH-E creates
several other buffers. They are:

`*MH-E Folders*'
     This buffer contains the output of `F l' (`mh-list-folders').
     *Note Folders::.  

`*MH-E Help*'
     This buffer contains the output of `?' (`mh-help') and `C-c ?' in
     MH-Letter mode. *Note Using This Manual::.  

`*MH-E Info*'
     This buffer contains the output of `M-x mh-version <RET>'.  

`*MH-E Log*'
     This buffer contains the last 100 lines of the output of the
     various MH commands.  

`*MH-E Mail Delivery*'
     This buffer contains the transcript of a mail delivery. *Note
     Sending Message::.  

`*MH-E Recipients*'
     This buffer contains the output of `C-c C-w' (`mh-check-whom') and
     is killed when draft is sent.  *Note Checking Recipients::.  

`*MH-E Sequences*'
     This buffer contains the output of `S l' (`mh-list-sequences').
     *Note Sequences::.  

`*mh-temp*'
     This is a scratch, ephemeral, buffer used by MH-E functions. Note
     that it is hidden because the first character in the name is a
     space.  You'll generally not have any need for this buffer.


File: mh-e,  Node: Scan Line Formats,  Next: Procmail,  Prev: Miscellaneous,  Up: Top

Appendix A Scan Line Formats
****************************

This appendix discusses how MH-E creates, parses, and manipulates scan
lines. If you have your own MH scan or inc format files, you *can*
teach MH-E how to handle them, but it isn't easy as you'll see.

   This table lists the options in the `mh-scan-line-formats'
customization group.

`mh-adaptive-cmd-note-flag'
     On means that the message number width is determined dynamically
     (default: `on').

`mh-scan-format-file'
     Specifies the format file to pass to the scan program (default:
     `Use MH-E scan Format').

`mh-scan-prog'
     Program used to scan messages (default: `"scan"').

   There are a couple of caveats when creating your own scan format
file.  First, MH-E will not work if your scan lines do not include
message numbers. It will work poorly if you don't dedicate a column for
showing the current message and notations. It is also best to keep the
first column empty to make room for the cursor and so that text isn't
obscured by the current message's overlay arrow when running in a
terminal. You won't be able to use the option
`mh-adaptive-cmd-note-flag' or the threading features (*note
Threading::).

   If you've created your own format to handle long message numbers,
you'll be pleased to know you no longer need it since MH-E adapts its
internal format based upon the largest message number if
`mh-adaptive-cmd-note-flag' is on (the default). If you prefer
fixed-width message numbers, turn off `mh-adaptive-cmd-note-flag' and
call `mh-set-cmd-note' with the width specified by your format file
(see `mh-scan-format-file'). For example, the default width is 4, so
you would use `(mh-set-cmd-note 4)'.

   The default setting for `mh-scan-format-file' is `Use MH-E scan
Format'. This means that the format string will be taken from the
either `mh-scan-format-mh' or `mh-scan-format-nmh' depending on whether
MH or nmh (or GNU mailutils MH) is in use. This setting also enables
you to turn on the option `mh-adaptive-cmd-note-flag'. You can also set
this option to `Use Default scan Format' to get the same output as you
would get if you ran `scan' from the shell. If you have a format file
that you want MH-E to use but not MH, you can set this option to
`Specify a scan Format File' and enter the name of your format file.

   The scan format that MH-E uses when `mh-scan-format-file' is set to
its default of `Use MH-E scan Format' is held in the variables
`mh-scan-format-nmh' and `mh-scan-format-mh' depending on whether you
are using nmh (or GNU mailutils MH) or not. Typically, you create your
own format files rather than modifying these variables.  The value of
`mh-scan-format-nmh' is:

     (concat
      "%4(msg)"
      "%<(cur)+%| %>"
      "%<{replied}-"
      "%?(nonnull(comp{to}))%<(mymbox{to})t%>"
      "%?(nonnull(comp{cc}))%<(mymbox{cc})c%>"
      "%?(nonnull(comp{bcc}))%<(mymbox{bcc})b%>"
      "%?(nonnull(comp{newsgroups}))n%>"
      "%<(zero) %>"
      "%02(mon{date})/%02(mday{date})%<{date} %|*%>"
      "%<(mymbox{from})%<{to}To:%14(decode(friendly{to}))%>%>"
      "%<(zero)%17(decode(friendly{from}))%>  "
      "%(decode{subject})%<{body}<<%{body}%>")

   The setting for `mh-scan-format-mh' is similar, except that MH
doesn't have the function `decode' (which is used to decode RFC 2047
encodings).

   These strings are passed to the `scan' program via the `-format'
argument. The formats are identical to the defaults except that
additional hints for fontification have been added to the existing
notations in the fifth column (remember that in Emacs, the columns
start at 0). The values of the fifth column, in priority order, are:
`-' if the message has been replied to, `t' if an address in the `To:'
field matches one of the mailboxes of the current user, `c' if the
`Cc:' field matches, `b' if the `Bcc:' field matches, and `n' if a
non-empty `Newsgroups:' field is present.

   The name of the program that generates a listing of one line per
message is held in `mh-scan-prog' (default: `"scan"').  Unless this
variable contains an absolute pathname, it is assumed to be in the
`mh-progs' directory (*note Getting Started::). You may link another
program to `scan' (see `mh-profile'(5)) to produce a different type of
listing(1).

   If you change the format of the scan lines you'll need to tell MH-E
how to parse the new format. As you will see, quite a lot of variables
are involved to do that. Use `M-x apropos <RET> mh-scan.*regexp <RET>'
to obtain a list of these variables. You will also have to call
`mh-set-cmd-note' if your notations are not in column 4 (columns in
Emacs start with 0). Note that unlike most of the user options
described in this manual, these are variables and must be set with
`setq' instead of in a customization buffer. For help with regular
expressions, see *note Syntax of Regular Expressions: (emacs)Regexps.

   The first variable has to do with pruning out garbage.

`mh-scan-valid-regexp'
     This regular expression describes a valid scan line. This is used
     to eliminate error messages that are occasionally produced by
     `inc'(2) or `scan' (default: `"^ *[0-9]"').

   Next, many variables control how the scan lines are parsed.

`mh-scan-body-regexp'
     This regular expression matches the message body fragment. Note
     that the default setting of `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects
     this expression to contain at least one parenthesized expression
     which matches the body text as in the default of
     `"\\(<<\\([^\n]+\\)?\\)"'. If this regular expression is not
     correct, the body fragment will not be highlighted with the face
     `mh-folder-body'.  

`mh-scan-cur-msg-number-regexp'
     This regular expression matches the current message. It must match
     from the beginning of the line. Note that the default setting of
     `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects this expression to contain
     at least one parenthesized expression which matches the message
     number as in the default of `"^\\( *[0-9]+\\+\\).*"'. This
     expression includes the leading space and current message marker
     `+' within the parenthesis since it looks better to highlight
     these items as well. The highlighting is done with the face
     `mh-folder-cur-msg-number'. This regular expression should be
     correct as it is needed by non-fontification functions. See also
     `mh-note-cur'.  

`mh-scan-date-regexp'
     This regular expression matches a valid date. It must *not* be
     anchored to the beginning or the end of the line. Note that the
     default setting of `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects this
     expression to contain only one parenthesized expression which
     matches the date field as in the default of
     `"\\([0-9][0-9]/[0-9][0-9]\\)"'. If this regular expression is not
     correct, the date will not be highlighted with the face
     `mh-folder-date'.  

`mh-scan-deleted-msg-regexp'
     This regular expression matches deleted messages. It must match
     from the beginning of the line. Note that the default setting of
     `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects this expression to contain
     at least one parenthesized expression which matches the message
     number as in the default of `"^\\( *[0-9]+\\)D"'. This expression
     includes the leading space within the parenthesis since it looks
     better to highlight it as well. The highlighting is done with the
     face `mh-folder-deleted'. This regular expression should be
     correct as it is needed by non-fontification functions. See also
     `mh-note-deleted'.  

`mh-scan-good-msg-regexp'
     This regular expression matches "good" messages. It must match from
     the beginning of the line. Note that the default setting of
     `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects this expression to contain
     at least one parenthesized expression which matches the message
     number as in the default of `"^\\( *[0-9]+\\)[^D^0-9]"'. This
     expression includes the leading space within the parenthesis since
     it looks better to highlight it as well. The highlighting is done
     with the face `mh-folder-msg-number'. This regular expression
     should be correct as it is needed by non-fontification functions.  

`mh-scan-msg-format-regexp'
     This regular expression finds the message number width in a scan
     format. Note that the message number must be placed in a
     parenthesized expression as in the default of
     `"%\\([0-9]*\\)(msg)"'. This variable is only consulted if
     `mh-scan-format-file' is set to `Use MH-E scan Format'.  

`mh-scan-msg-format-string'
     This is a format string for the width of the message number in a
     scan format. Use `0%d' for zero-filled message numbers. This
     variable is only consulted if `mh-scan-format-file' is set to `Use
     MH-E scan Format' (default: `"%d"').

`mh-scan-msg-number-regexp'
     This regular expression extracts the message number. It must match
     from the beginning of the line. Note that the message number must
     be placed in a parenthesized expression as in the default of
     `"^ *\\([0-9]+\\)"'.

`mh-scan-msg-overflow-regexp'
     This regular expression matches overflowed message numbers
     (default: `"^[?0-9][0-9]"').

`mh-scan-msg-search-regexp'
     This regular expression matches a particular message. It is a
     format string; use `%d' to represent the location of the message
     number within the expression as in the default of
     `"^[^0-9]*%d[^0-9]"'.  

`mh-scan-rcpt-regexp'
     This regular expression specifies the recipient in messages you
     sent.  Note that the default setting of
     `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects this expression to contain
     two parenthesized expressions. The first is expected to match the
     `To:' that the default scan format file generates. The second is
     expected to match the recipient's name as in the default of
     `"\\(To:\\)\\(..............\\)"'. If this regular expression is
     not correct, the `To:' string will not be highlighted with the
     face `mh-folder-to' and the recipient will not be highlighted with
     the face `mh-folder-address'.  

`mh-scan-refiled-msg-regexp'
     This regular expression matches refiled messages. It must match
     from the beginning of the line. Note that the default setting of
     `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects this expression to contain
     at least one parenthesized expression which matches the message
     number as in the default of `"^\\( *[0-9]+\\)\\^"'. This expression
     includes the leading space within the parenthesis since it looks
     better to highlight it as well. The highlighting is done with the
     face `mh-folder-refiled'. This regular expression should be
     correct as it is needed by non-fontification functions. See also
     `mh-note-refiled'.  

`mh-scan-sent-to-me-sender-regexp'
     This regular expression matches messages sent to us. Note that the
     default setting of `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects this
     expression to contain at least two parenthesized expressions. The
     first should match the fontification hint (see
     `mh-scan-format-nmh') and the second should match the user name as
     in the default of
     `"^ *[0-9]+.\\([bct]\\).....[ ]*\\(..................\\)"'.  If
     this regular expression is not correct, the notation hints will not
     be highlighted with the face `mh-mh-folder-sent-to-me-hint' and
     the sender will not be highlighted with the face
     `mh-folder-sent-to-me-sender'.  

`mh-scan-subject-regexp'
     This regular expression matches the subject. It must match from the
     beginning of the line. Note that the default setting of
     `mh-folder-font-lock-keywords' expects this expression to contain
     at least three parenthesized expressions. The first is expected to
     match the `Re:' string, if any, and is highlighted with the face
     `mh-folder-followup'. The second matches an optional bracketed
     number after `Re:', such as in `Re[2]:' (and is thus a
     sub-expression of the first expression). The third is expected to
     match the subject line itself which is highlighted with the face
     `mh-folder-subject'. For example, the default is
     `"^ *[0-9]+........[ ]*...................'
     `\\([Rr][Ee]\\(\\[[0-9]+\\]\\)?:\\s-*\\)*\\([^<\n]*\\)"'.  This
     regular expression should be correct as it is needed by
     non-fontification functions. Note that this example is broken up on
     two lines for readability, but is actually a single string.

   Finally, there are a slew of variables that control how MH-E
annotates the scan lines.

`mh-cmd-note'
     Column for notations (default: 4). This variable should be set with
     the function `mh-set-cmd-note'. This variable may be updated
     dynamically if `mh-adaptive-cmd-note-flag' is on. The following
     variables contain the notational characters. Note that columns in
     Emacs start with 0.

`mh-note-copied'
     Messages that have been copied are marked by this character
     (default: `?C').  

`mh-note-cur'
     The current message (in MH, not in MH-E) is marked by this
     character (default: `?+'). See also
     `mh-scan-cur-msg-number-regexp'.  

`mh-note-deleted'
     Messages that have been deleted are marked by this character
     (default: `?D'). See also `mh-scan-deleted-msg-regexp'.

`mh-note-dist'
     Messages that have been redistributed are marked by this character
     (default: `?R').

`mh-note-forw'
     Messages that have been forwarded are marked by this character
     (default: `?F').

`mh-note-printed'
     Messages that have been printed are marked by this character
     (default: `?P').  

`mh-note-refiled'
     Messages that have been refiled are marked by this character
     (default: `?^'). See also `mh-scan-refiled-msg-regexp'.

`mh-note-repl'
     Messages that have been replied to are marked by this character
     (default: `?-').

`mh-note-seq'
     Messages in a user-defined sequence are marked by this character
     (default: `?%'). Messages in the `search' sequence are marked by
     this character as well.

   For example, let's say I have the following in `scan.format' which
displays the sender, the subject, and the message number. This format
places a `+' after the message number for the current message according
to MH; it also uses that column for notations.

     %20(decode(friendly{from})) %50(decode{subject})  %4(msg)%<(cur)+%| %>

   The first thing you have to do is tell MH-E to use this file.
Customize `mh-scan-format-file' and set its value to `Use Default scan
Format'. If you didn't get already turn off
`mh-adaptive-cmd-note-flag', you'll need to do that first.

   Next, tell MH-E what a valid scan line looks like so that you can at
least display the output of scan in your MH-Folder buffer.

     (setq mh-scan-valid-regexp "[0-9]+[+D^ ]$")

   Now, in order to get rid of the `Cursor not pointing to message'
message, you need to tell MH-E how to access the message number. You
should also see why MH-E requires that you include a message number in
the first place.

     (setq mh-scan-msg-number-regexp "^.* \\([0-9]+\\)[+D^ ]$")
     (setq mh-scan-msg-search-regexp " %d[+D^ ]$")

   In order to get the next and previous commands working, add this.

     (setq mh-scan-good-msg-regexp "^.* \\([0-9]+\\)[+D^ ]$")

   Note that the current message isn't marked with a `+' when moving
between the next and previous messages. Here is the code required to
get this working.

     (set-mh-cmd-note 76)
     (setq mh-scan-cur-msg-number-regexp "^.* \\([0-9]+\\)\\+$")

   Finally, add the following to delete and refile messages.

     (setq mh-scan-deleted-msg-regexp "^.* \\([0-9]+\\)D$")
     (setq mh-scan-refiled-msg-regexp "^.* \\([0-9]+\\)\\^$")

   This is just a bare minimum; it's best to adjust all of the regular
expressions to ensure that MH-E and highlighting perform well.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) See the section Find and Specify with scan pick Ranges Sequences
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/faswsprs.html) in the MH book.

   (2) See the section Reading Mail: inc show next prev
(http://rand-mh.sourceforge.net/book/mh/reapre.html) in the MH book.


File: mh-e,  Node: Procmail,  Next: Odds and Ends,  Prev: Scan Line Formats,  Up: Top

Appendix B Reading Mailing Lists Effectively
********************************************

This appendix explains how to use procmail (http://www.procmail.org/)
to file mail from mailing lists into folders which can then be read
easily with MH-E(1). Some mailing lists have such high traffic that
Gnus must be used and I discuss how to use Gnus side-by-side with MH-E.

   First, I'll describe how to put mail from your mailing lists directly
into an MH folder using `procmail'. First, add the following to
`~/.procmailrc'. While the logging variables aren't strictly necessary,
they are extremely useful.

     [1]  # Update PATH so procmail can find myrcvstore, rcvstore and mhparam.
     [2]  PATH=$PATH:/usr/lib/mh:/usr/bin/mh:$HOME/bin
     [3]
     [4]  # Point LOGFILE at the actual log file.
     [5]  LOGFILE=$HOME/.procmail.log
     [6]
     [7]  # This setting provides just the right amount of information.
     [8]  LOGABSTRACT=all
     [9]
     [10] # Uncomment the following line to see how your patterns match.
     [11] #VERBOSE=yes
     [12]
     [13] # Place mail sent to any MH-E mailing list in +mh-e.
     [14] :0 w: mh-e$LOCKEXT
     [15] * ^TO.*mh-e-.*.*sourceforge.net
     [16] | myrcvstore -create +mh-e

   Line 14 creates a lock file in your mail directory based upon the
name of the folder. This is done because `rcvstore' does not perform
locking. While this lock file will prevent `procmail' from writing to a
folder concurrently, there is a slight chance that you might lose a
message if you're performing operations on a folder at the same time
`rcvstore' is placing a message there. You have been warned. Now that
that disclaimer is out of the way, note that I've been using this
set-up for over a decade and haven't lost anything to my knowledge(2).

   Line 16 uses the following script, `myrcvstore', to massage the
message as described in the comment and file the message in the given
folder(3).

     #! /bin/sh

     # Accepts a message on standard input and passes it through rcvstore
     # after first passing it through any filters. All arguments are passed
     # on to rcvstore.

     # Force the "From user date" to become part of header. One reason this
     # is done is because the presence of the From field confuses dist so
     # that dist adds a new header, rather than using the existing header.
     # Note that this should not be done for any message that goes into a
     # Gnus incoming file (Gnus will thrown an error) nor should it be
     # applied to any message that goes to the system mailbox because the
     # entire mailbox will be incorporated as a single message.
     formail -c -z -R 'From ' X-Envelope-From: |
     rcvstore $@

   If your version of `rcvstore' doesn't add messages to the `unseen'
sequence by default, add the following line to your MH profile:

     Unseen-Sequence: unseen

   Now view your new messages with the speedbar (*note Speedbar::) or
with `F n' (`mh-index-new-messages'). *Note Folders::.

   If you're on a mailing list that is so voluminous that it is
impossible to read every message, it usually better to read the mailing
list like a newsgroup in a news reader. Emacs has a built-in newsreader
called Gnus. The remainder of this appendix talks about how to use Gnus
with an MH message store. The version of Gnus that was used to prepare
this manual was 5.10. Versions 5.8 through 5.10 should work but
versions prior to 5.8 use different options.

   This table contains a list of Gnus options that you will have to
modify. Note that for them to become accessible, you'll have to load
`nnml.el' first. This can be done with `M-x load-library <RET> nnml
<RET>'.

`gnus-secondary-select-methods'
     Select the `nnml' value. This select method uses directories for
     folders and individual files for messages, just like MH. You do not
     have to set an address.

`mail-sources'
     Select the `Several files in a directory' value, check the `Path'
     box and enter `~/Mail' to tell Gnus where to find your mail.  

`message-mail-user-agent'
     In order to send mail within Gnus using MH-E, set this option to
     `mail-user-agent' and set the `mail-user-agent' option to `Emacs
     interface to MH'.

`nnmail-keep-last-article'
     Since Gnus keeps track of which messages you have read, it would be
     bad if Gnus expired the last message, for example, message 100, and
     `rcvstore' gave the next new message number 1. Gnus would then
     ignore it since it thinks that you've read messages 1-100. Turning
     on this option ensures that the last message is never removed
     thereby eliminating this problem.

   Next add the following to `~/.procmailrc'. If you don't subscribe to
the GnuCash mailing list, substitute one to which you are subscribed.

     PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin/mh
     MAILDIR=$HOME/`mhparam Path`
     # Place mail sent to the GnuCash mailing list in gnucash.spool, where
     # Gnus will pick it up.
     :0:
     * ^TO.*gnucash.*.*gnucash.org
     gnucash.spool

   Wait for some messages to appear in `gnucash.spool' and run Gnus
with `M-x gnus <RET>'. To view the folder created in the example above,
you would tell Gnus about it the first time only with `G m gnucash
<RET> nnml <RET>'. In MH-E, this folder is known as `+gnucash'.

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) The MH equivalent, `slocal', can be used as well, but procmail
is more flexible and more packages exist for procmail than for slocal.

   (2) See Savannah issue #4361
(https://savannah.nongnu.org/bugs/?func=detailbug&bug_id=4361&group_id=2166)
to see if `rcvstore' locking is still an issue.

   (3) The `-create' argument wasn't always the default to `rcvstore'.


File: mh-e,  Node: Odds and Ends,  Next: History,  Prev: Procmail,  Up: Top

Appendix C Odds and Ends
************************

This appendix covers a few topics that don't fit elsewhere. Here I tell
you how to report bugs and how to get on the MH-E mailing lists.  I
also point out some additional sources of information.

* Menu:

* Bug Reports::
* Mailing Lists::
* MH FAQ and Support::
* Getting MH-E::


File: mh-e,  Node: Bug Reports,  Next: Mailing Lists,  Prev: Odds and Ends,  Up: Odds and Ends

C.1 Bug Reports
===============

Bug reports should be filed at SourceForge
(https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=13357&atid=113357). You need
to be a SourceForge user to submit bug reports, but this is easy enough
to do that it shouldn't be a restriction for you. Please include the
output of `M-x mh-version' (*note Miscellaneous::) in any bug report
you send unless you're 110% positive we won't ask for it.


File: mh-e,  Node: Mailing Lists,  Next: MH FAQ and Support,  Prev: Bug Reports,  Up: Odds and Ends

C.2 MH-E Mailing Lists
======================

There are several mailing lists for MH-E. They are mh-e-users at
lists.sourceforge.net, mh-e-announce at lists.sourceforge.net, and
mh-e-devel at lists.sourceforge.net. You can subscribe or view the
archives at SourceForge (https://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=13357).
Do not report bugs on these lists; please submit them via SourceForge
(*note Bug Reports::).


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C.3 MH FAQ and Support
======================

The article `MH Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with Answers'
(http://www.newt.com/faq/mh.html) appears monthly in the newsgroup
`comp.mail.mh'. While very little is there that deals with MH-E
specifically, there is an incredible wealth of material about MH itself
which you will find useful.

   You can find FAQs on MH-E at the Support Requests
(https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=13357&atid=213357) page on
SourceForge. If you don't find the answer to your question, file a
support request and your question will become a new FAQ!


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C.4 Getting MH-E
================

Because MH-E is undergoing a phase of sustained growth, the version of
MH-E in your Emacs is likely to be out of date although it is most
likely to be more up to date than the copy that comes with the MH
distribution in `miscellany/mh-e'.

   New MH-E releases are always available for downloading at
SourceForge
(https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=13357) before
they appear in an Emacs release. You can read the release notes on that
page to determine if the given release of MH-E is already installed in
your version of Emacs. You can also read the change log to see if you
are interested in what the given release of MH-E has to offer (although
we have no doubt that you will be extremely interested in all new
releases).

   If you use Debian, you can install the Debian mh-e package
(http://packages.debian.org/unstable/mail/mh-e) instead.

   After you download and extract the MH-E tarball, read the `README'
file and `MH-E-NEWS'. These correspond to the release notes and change
log mentioned above. The file `README' contains instructions on
installing MH-E. If you're already running Emacs, please quit that
session and start again to load in the new MH-E. Check that you're
running the new version with the command `M-x mh-version'.

   In addition to the mh-e package, the SourceForge
(https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=13357) site
also contains doc and contrib packages. The former is the latest
release of this manual, and the latter contains a few contributed
packages you might find useful.


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Appendix D History of MH-E
**************************

MH-E was originally written by Brian Reid in 1983 and has changed hands
several times since then. Jim Larus wanted to do something similar for
GNU Emacs, and ended up completely rewriting it that same year. In
1989, Stephen Gildea picked it up and added many improvements. Bill
Wohler then took over in 2000 and moved its development to SourceForge
(http://sourceforge.net/) where it lives today.

* Menu:

* From Brian Reid::
* From Jim Larus::
* From Stephen Gildea::
* From Bill Wohler::


File: mh-e,  Node: From Brian Reid,  Next: From Jim Larus,  Prev: History,  Up: History

D.1 From Brian Reid
===================

One day in 1983 I got the flu and had to stay home from work for three
days with nothing to do. I used that time to write MHE. The fundamental
idea behind MHE was that it was a "puppeteer" driving the MH programs
underneath it. MH had a model that the editor was supposed to run as a
sub-process of the mailer, which seemed to me at the time to be the
tail wagging the dog. So I turned it around and made the editor drive
the MH programs. I made sure that the UCI people (who were maintaining
MH at the time) took in my changes and made them stick.

   Today, I still use my own version of MHE because I don't at all like
the way that GNU MH-E works and I've never gotten to be good enough at
hacking Emacs Lisp to make GNU MH-E do what I want. The Gosling-emacs
version of MHE and the GNU Emacs version of MH-E have almost nothing in
common except similar names. They work differently, have different
conceptual models, and have different key bindings(1).

   Brian Reid, June 1994

   ---------- Footnotes ----------

   (1) After reading this article, I questioned Brian about his version
of MHE, and received some great ideas for improving MH-E such as a
dired-like method of selecting folders; and removing the prompting when
sending mail, filling in the blanks in the draft buffer instead. I
passed them on to Stephen Gildea, the current maintainer, and he was
excited about the ideas as well. Perhaps one day, MH-E will again
resemble MHE (draft form editing was introduced in version 7.4).


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D.2 From Jim Larus
==================

Brian Reid, while at CMU or shortly after going to Stanford wrote a
mail reading program called MHE for Gosling Emacs. It had much the same
structure as MH-E (i.e., invoked MH programs), though it was simpler
and the commands were slightly different. Unfortunately, I no longer
have a copy so the differences are lost in the mists of time.

   In '82-83, I was working at BBN and wrote a lot of mlisp code in
Gosling Emacs to make it look more like Tennex Emacs. One of the
packages that I picked up and improved was Reid's mail system. In '83,
I went back to Berkeley. About that time, Stallman's first version of
GNU Emacs came out and people started to move to it from Gosling Emacs
(as I recall, the transition took a year or two). I decided to port
Reid's MHE and used the mlisp to Emacs Lisp translator that came with
GNU Emacs. It did a lousy job and the resulting code didn't work, so I
bit the bullet and rewrote the code by hand (it was a lot smaller and
simpler then, so it took only a day or two).

   Soon after that, MH-E became part of the standard Emacs distribution
and suggestions kept dribbling in for improvements. MH-E soon reached
sufficient functionality to keep me happy, but I kept on improving it
because I was a graduate student with plenty of time on my hands and it
was more fun than my dissertation. In retrospect, the one thing that I
regret is not writing any documentation, which seriously limited the
use and appeal of the package.

   In '89, I came to Wisconsin as a professor and decided not to work on
MH-E. It was stable, except for minor bugs, and had enough
functionality, so I let it be for a few years. Stephen Gildea of BBN
began to pester me about the bugs, but I ignored them. In 1990, he went
off to the X Consortium, said good bye, and said that he would now be
using `xmh'. A few months later, he came back and said that he couldn't
stand `xmh' and could I put a few more bug fixes into MH-E. At that
point, I had no interest in fixing MH-E, so I gave the responsibility
of maintenance to him and he has done a fine job since then.

   Jim Larus, June 1994


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D.3 From Stephen Gildea
=======================

In 1987 I went to work for Bolt Beranek and Newman, as Jim had before
me. In my previous job, I had been using RMAIL, but as my folders tend
to run large, I was frustrated with the speed of RMAIL. However, I
stuck with it because I wanted the GNU Emacs interface. I am very
familiar and comfortable with the Emacs interface (with just a few
modifications of my own) and dislike having to use applications with
embedded editors; they never live up to Emacs.

   MH is the mail reader of choice at BBN, so I converted to it. Since I
didn't want to give up using an Emacs interface, I started using MH-E.
As is my wont, I started hacking on it almost immediately. I first used
version 3.4m. One of the first features I added was to treat the folder
buffer as a file-visiting buffer: you could lock it, save it, and be
warned of unsaved changes when killing it. I also worked to bring its
functionality a little closer to RMAIL. Jim Larus was very cooperative
about merging in my changes, and my efforts first appeared in version
3.6, distributed with Emacs 18.52 in 1988. Next I decided MH-E was too
slow and optimized it a lot. Version, 3.7, distributed with Emacs 18.56
in 1990, was noticeably faster.

   When I moved to the X Consortium I became the first person there to
not use xmh. (There is now one other engineer there using MH-E.) About
this point I took over maintenance of MH-E from Jim and was finally
able to add some features Jim hadn't accepted, such as the backward
searching undo. My first release was 3.8 (Emacs 18.58) in 1992.

   Now, in 1994, we see a flurry of releases, with both 4.0 and 5.0.
Version 4.0 added many new features, including background folder
collection and support for composing MIME messages. (Reading MIME
messages remains to be done, alas.) While writing this book, Bill
Wohler gave MH-E its closest examination ever, uncovering bugs and
inconsistencies that required a new major version to fix, and so
version 5 was released.

   Stephen Gildea, June 1994


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D.4 From Bill Wohler
====================

The preface originally included the following text which I use to begin
my story:

     But it's important to note a brief history of MH-E.

     Version 3 was prevalent through the Emacs 18 and early Emacs 19
     years. Then Version 4 came out (Emacs 19.23), which introduced
     several new and changed commands. Next, Version 5.0 was released,
     which fixed some bugs and incompatibilities, and was incorporated
     into Emacs 19.29.

   After a long break, Stephen handed the reins over to me in 2000. I
moved the project to a new site called SourceForge and organized a
great team of developers. Our first release in late 2001 was version 6.
It appeared around the time of Emacs 21.2 and had menus and tool bar
buttons.

   Then, indexed searches, improved MIME handling, a speedbar, multiple
identities, alias completion, an index view of unseen messages, spam
software support, Face and X-Image-URL header field support, Fcc
completion, arbitrary range handling, and draft form editing were
introduced in the version 7 series around the time of Emacs 21.4
(2004). Still, Emacs itself contained version 5 of MH-E released back
in 1994.

   Version 8 development was mostly driven by the rewrite of the manual.
It also brought GNU mailutils MH support, S/MIME support, picon
support, and an improved interface for hiding header fields. The CVS
repository was migrated from SourceForge to Savannah (only for those
files that were already part of Emacs) and the software was completely
reorganized to push back two decades of entropy. Version 8 appeared in
Emacs 22.1 in 2006.

   Development was then quiet for a couple of years. Emacs 23.1, which
is due out in 2009, will contain version 8.1. This version includes a
few new features and several bug fixes.

   Bill Wohler, August 2008


File: mh-e,  Node: GFDL,  Next: GPL,  Prev: History,  Up: Top

Appendix E GNU Free Documentation License
*****************************************

                     Version 1.3, 3 November 2008

     Copyright (C) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
     `http://fsf.org/'

     Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
     of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.

  0. PREAMBLE

     The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other
     functional and useful document "free" in the sense of freedom: to
     assure everyone the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it,
     with or without modifying it, either commercially or
     noncommercially.  Secondarily, this License preserves for the
     author and publisher a way to get credit for their work, while not
     being considered responsible for modifications made by others.

     This License is a kind of "copyleft", which means that derivative
     works of the document must themselves be free in the same sense.
     It complements the GNU General Public License, which is a copyleft
     license designed for free software.

     We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for
     free software, because free software needs free documentation: a
     free program should come with manuals providing the same freedoms
     that the software does.  But this License is not limited to
     software manuals; it can be used for any textual work, regardless
     of subject matter or whether it is published as a printed book.
     We recommend this License principally for works whose purpose is
     instruction or reference.

  1. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS

     This License applies to any manual or other work, in any medium,
     that contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it
     can be distributed under the terms of this License.  Such a notice
     grants a world-wide, royalty-free license, unlimited in duration,
     to use that work under the conditions stated herein.  The
     "Document", below, refers to any such manual or work.  Any member
     of the public is a licensee, and is addressed as "you".  You
     accept the license if you copy, modify or distribute the work in a
     way requiring permission under copyright law.

     A "Modified Version" of the Document means any work containing the
     Document or a portion of it, either copied verbatim, or with
     modifications and/or translated into another language.

     A "Secondary Section" is a named appendix or a front-matter section
     of the Document that deals exclusively with the relationship of the
     publishers or authors of the Document to the Document's overall
     subject (or to related matters) and contains nothing that could
     fall directly within that overall subject.  (Thus, if the Document
     is in part a textbook of mathematics, a Secondary Section may not
     explain any mathematics.)  The relationship could be a matter of
     historical connection with the subject or with related matters, or
     of legal, commercial, philosophical, ethical or political position
     regarding them.

     The "Invariant Sections" are certain Secondary Sections whose
     titles are designated, as being those of Invariant Sections, in
     the notice that says that the Document is released under this
     License.  If a section does not fit the above definition of
     Secondary then it is not allowed to be designated as Invariant.
     The Document may contain zero Invariant Sections.  If the Document
     does not identify any Invariant Sections then there are none.

     The "Cover Texts" are certain short passages of text that are
     listed, as Front-Cover Texts or Back-Cover Texts, in the notice
     that says that the Document is released under this License.  A
     Front-Cover Text may be at most 5 words, and a Back-Cover Text may
     be at most 25 words.

     A "Transparent" copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy,
     represented in a format whose specification is available to the
     general public, that is suitable for revising the document
     straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images
     composed of pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some
     widely available drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to
     text formatters or for automatic translation to a variety of
     formats suitable for input to text formatters.  A copy made in an
     otherwise Transparent file format whose markup, or absence of
     markup, has been arranged to thwart or discourage subsequent
     modification by readers is not Transparent.  An image format is
     not Transparent if used for any substantial amount of text.  A
     copy that is not "Transparent" is called "Opaque".

     Examples of suitable formats for Transparent copies include plain
     ASCII without markup, Texinfo input format, LaTeX input format,
     SGML or XML using a publicly available DTD, and
     standard-conforming simple HTML, PostScript or PDF designed for
     human modification.  Examples of transparent image formats include
     PNG, XCF and JPG.  Opaque formats include proprietary formats that
     can be read and edited only by proprietary word processors, SGML or
     XML for which the DTD and/or processing tools are not generally
     available, and the machine-generated HTML, PostScript or PDF
     produced by some word processors for output purposes only.

     The "Title Page" means, for a printed book, the title page itself,
     plus such following pages as are needed to hold, legibly, the
     material this License requires to appear in the title page.  For
     works in formats which do not have any title page as such, "Title
     Page" means the text near the most prominent appearance of the
     work's title, preceding the beginning of the body of the text.

     The "publisher" means any person or entity that distributes copies
     of the Document to the public.

     A section "Entitled XYZ" means a named subunit of the Document
     whose title either is precisely XYZ or contains XYZ in parentheses
     following text that translates XYZ in another language.  (Here XYZ
     stands for a specific section name mentioned below, such as
     "Acknowledgements", "Dedications", "Endorsements", or "History".)
     To "Preserve the Title" of such a section when you modify the
     Document means that it remains a section "Entitled XYZ" according
     to this definition.

     The Document may include Warranty Disclaimers next to the notice
     which states that this License applies to the Document.  These
     Warranty Disclaimers are considered to be included by reference in
     this License, but only as regards disclaiming warranties: any other
     implication that these Warranty Disclaimers may have is void and
     has no effect on the meaning of this License.

  2. VERBATIM COPYING

     You may copy and distribute the Document in any medium, either
     commercially or noncommercially, provided that this License, the
     copyright notices, and the license notice saying this License
     applies to the Document are reproduced in all copies, and that you
     add no other conditions whatsoever to those of this License.  You
     may not use technical measures to obstruct or control the reading
     or further copying of the copies you make or distribute.  However,
     you may accept compensation in exchange for copies.  If you
     distribute a large enough number of copies you must also follow
     the conditions in section 3.

     You may also lend copies, under the same conditions stated above,
     and you may publicly display copies.

  3. COPYING IN QUANTITY

     If you publish printed copies (or copies in media that commonly
     have printed covers) of the Document, numbering more than 100, and
     the Document's license notice requires Cover Texts, you must
     enclose the copies in covers that carry, clearly and legibly, all
     these Cover Texts: Front-Cover Texts on the front cover, and
     Back-Cover Texts on the back cover.  Both covers must also clearly
     and legibly identify you as the publisher of these copies.  The
     front cover must present the full title with all words of the
     title equally prominent and visible.  You may add other material
     on the covers in addition.  Copying with changes limited to the
     covers, as long as they preserve the title of the Document and
     satisfy these conditions, can be treated as verbatim copying in
     other respects.

     If the required texts for either cover are too voluminous to fit
     legibly, you should put the first ones listed (as many as fit
     reasonably) on the actual cover, and continue the rest onto
     adjacent pages.

     If you publish or distribute Opaque copies of the Document
     numbering more than 100, you must either include a
     machine-readable Transparent copy along with each Opaque copy, or
     state in or with each Opaque copy a computer-network location from
     which the general network-using public has access to download
     using public-standard network protocols a complete Transparent
     copy of the Document, free of added material.  If you use the
     latter option, you must take reasonably prudent steps, when you
     begin distribution of Opaque copies in quantity, to ensure that
     this Transparent copy will remain thus accessible at the stated
     location until at least one year after the last time you
     distribute an Opaque copy (directly or through your agents or
     retailers) of that edition to the public.

     It is requested, but not required, that you contact the authors of
     the Document well before redistributing any large number of
     copies, to give them a chance to provide you with an updated
     version of the Document.

  4. MODIFICATIONS

     You may copy and distribute a Modified Version of the Document
     under the conditions of sections 2 and 3 above, provided that you
     release the Modified Version under precisely this License, with
     the Modified Version filling the role of the Document, thus
     licensing distribution and modification of the Modified Version to
     whoever possesses a copy of it.  In addition, you must do these
     things in the Modified Version:

       A. Use in the Title Page (and on the covers, if any) a title
          distinct from that of the Document, and from those of
          previous versions (which should, if there were any, be listed
          in the History section of the Document).  You may use the
          same title as a previous version if the original publisher of
          that version gives permission.

       B. List on the Title Page, as authors, one or more persons or
          entities responsible for authorship of the modifications in
          the Modified Version, together with at least five of the
          principal authors of the Document (all of its principal
          authors, if it has fewer than five), unless they release you
          from this requirement.

       C. State on the Title page the name of the publisher of the
          Modified Version, as the publisher.

       D. Preserve all the copyright notices of the Document.

       E. Add an appropriate copyright notice for your modifications
          adjacent to the other copyright notices.

       F. Include, immediately after the copyright notices, a license
          notice giving the public permission to use the Modified
          Version under the terms of this License, in the form shown in
          the Addendum below.

       G. Preserve in that license notice the full lists of Invariant
          Sections and required Cover Texts given in the Document's
          license notice.

       H. Include an unaltered copy of this License.

       I. Preserve the section Entitled "History", Preserve its Title,
          and add to it an item stating at least the title, year, new
          authors, and publisher of the Modified Version as given on
          the Title Page.  If there is no section Entitled "History" in
          the Document, create one stating the title, year, authors,
          and publisher of the Document as given on its Title Page,
          then add an item describing the Modified Version as stated in
          the previous sentence.

       J. Preserve the network location, if any, given in the Document
          for public access to a Transparent copy of the Document, and
          likewise the network locations given in the Document for
          previous versions it was based on.  These may be placed in
          the "History" section.  You may omit a network location for a
          work that was published at least four years before the
          Document itself, or if the original publisher of the version
          it refers to gives permission.

       K. For any section Entitled "Acknowledgements" or "Dedications",
          Preserve the Title of the section, and preserve in the
          section all the substance and tone of each of the contributor
          acknowledgements and/or dedications given therein.

       L. Preserve all the Invariant Sections of the Document,
          unaltered in their text and in their titles.  Section numbers
          or the equivalent are not considered part of the section
          titles.

       M. Delete any section Entitled "Endorsements".  Such a section
          may not be included in the Modified Version.

       N. Do not retitle any existing section to be Entitled
          "Endorsements" or to conflict in title with any Invariant
          Section.

       O. Preserve any Warranty Disclaimers.

     If the Modified Version includes new front-matter sections or
     appendices that qualify as Secondary Sections and contain no
     material copied from the Document, you may at your option
     designate some or all of these sections as invariant.  To do this,
     add their titles to the list of Invariant Sections in the Modified
     Version's license notice.  These titles must be distinct from any
     other section titles.

     You may add a section Entitled "Endorsements", provided it contains
     nothing but endorsements of your Modified Version by various
     parties--for example, statements of peer review or that the text
     has been approved by an organization as the authoritative
     definition of a standard.

     You may add a passage of up to five words as a Front-Cover Text,
     and a passage of up to 25 words as a Back-Cover Text, to the end
     of the list of Cover Texts in the Modified Version.  Only one
     passage of Front-Cover Text and one of Back-Cover Text may be
     added by (or through arrangements made by) any one entity.  If the
     Document already includes a cover text for the same cover,
     previously added by you or by arrangement made by the same entity
     you are acting on behalf of, you may not add another; but you may
     replace the old one, on explicit permission from the previous
     publisher that added the old one.

     The author(s) and publisher(s) of the Document do not by this
     License give permission to use their names for publicity for or to
     assert or imply endorsement of any Modified Version.

  5. COMBINING DOCUMENTS

     You may combine the Document with other documents released under
     this License, under the terms defined in section 4 above for
     modified versions, provided that you include in the combination
     all of the Invariant Sections of all of the original documents,
     unmodified, and list them all as Invariant Sections of your
     combined work in its license notice, and that you preserve all
     their Warranty Disclaimers.

     The combined work need only contain one copy of this License, and
     multiple identical Invariant Sections may be replaced with a single
     copy.  If there are multiple Invariant Sections with the same name
     but different contents, make the title of each such section unique
     by adding at the end of it, in parentheses, the name of the
     original author or publisher of that section if known, or else a
     unique number.  Make the same adjustment to the section titles in
     the list of Invariant Sections in the license notice of the
     combined work.

     In the combination, you must combine any sections Entitled
     "History" in the various original documents, forming one section
     Entitled "History"; likewise combine any sections Entitled
     "Acknowledgements", and any sections Entitled "Dedications".  You
     must delete all sections Entitled "Endorsements."

  6. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS

     You may make a collection consisting of the Document and other
     documents released under this License, and replace the individual
     copies of this License in the various documents with a single copy
     that is included in the collection, provided that you follow the
     rules of this License for verbatim copying of each of the
     documents in all other respects.

     You may extract a single document from such a collection, and
     distribute it individually under this License, provided you insert
     a copy of this License into the extracted document, and follow
     this License in all other respects regarding verbatim copying of
     that document.

  7. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS

     A compilation of the Document or its derivatives with other
     separate and independent documents or works, in or on a volume of
     a storage or distribution medium, is called an "aggregate" if the
     copyright resulting from the compilation is not used to limit the
     legal rights of the compilation's users beyond what the individual
     works permit.  When the Document is included in an aggregate, this
     License does not apply to the other works in the aggregate which
     are not themselves derivative works of the Document.

     If the Cover Text requirement of section 3 is applicable to these
     copies of the Document, then if the Document is less than one half
     of the entire aggregate, the Document's Cover Texts may be placed
     on covers that bracket the Document within the aggregate, or the
     electronic equivalent of covers if the Document is in electronic
     form.  Otherwise they must appear on printed covers that bracket
     the whole aggregate.

  8. TRANSLATION

     Translation is considered a kind of modification, so you may
     distribute translations of the Document under the terms of section
     4.  Replacing Invariant Sections with translations requires special
     permission from their copyright holders, but you may include
     translations of some or all Invariant Sections in addition to the
     original versions of these Invariant Sections.  You may include a
     translation of this License, and all the license notices in the
     Document, and any Warranty Disclaimers, provided that you also
     include the original English version of this License and the
     original versions of those notices and disclaimers.  In case of a
     disagreement between the translation and the original version of
     this License or a notice or disclaimer, the original version will
     prevail.

     If a section in the Document is Entitled "Acknowledgements",
     "Dedications", or "History", the requirement (section 4) to
     Preserve its Title (section 1) will typically require changing the
     actual title.

  9. TERMINATION

     You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Document
     except as expressly provided under this License.  Any attempt
     otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute it is void,
     and will automatically terminate your rights under this License.

     However, if you cease all violation of this License, then your
     license from a particular copyright holder is reinstated (a)
     provisionally, unless and until the copyright holder explicitly
     and finally terminates your license, and (b) permanently, if the
     copyright holder fails to notify you of the violation by some
     reasonable means prior to 60 days after the cessation.

     Moreover, your license from a particular copyright holder is
     reinstated permanently if the copyright holder notifies you of the
     violation by some reasonable means, this is the first time you have
     received notice of violation of this License (for any work) from
     that copyright holder, and you cure the violation prior to 30 days
     after your receipt of the notice.

     Termination of your rights under this section does not terminate
     the licenses of parties who have received copies or rights from
     you under this License.  If your rights have been terminated and
     not permanently reinstated, receipt of a copy of some or all of
     the same material does not give you any rights to use it.

 10. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE

     The Free Software Foundation may publish new, revised versions of
     the GNU Free Documentation License from time to time.  Such new
     versions will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may
     differ in detail to address new problems or concerns.  See
     `http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/'.

     Each version of the License is given a distinguishing version
     number.  If the Document specifies that a particular numbered
     version of this License "or any later version" applies to it, you
     have the option of following the terms and conditions either of
     that specified version or of any later version that has been
     published (not as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation.  If
     the Document does not specify a version number of this License,
     you may choose any version ever published (not as a draft) by the
     Free Software Foundation.  If the Document specifies that a proxy
     can decide which future versions of this License can be used, that
     proxy's public statement of acceptance of a version permanently
     authorizes you to choose that version for the Document.

 11. RELICENSING

     "Massive Multiauthor Collaboration Site" (or "MMC Site") means any
     World Wide Web server that publishes copyrightable works and also
     provides prominent facilities for anybody to edit those works.  A
     public wiki that anybody can edit is an example of such a server.
     A "Massive Multiauthor Collaboration" (or "MMC") contained in the
     site means any set of copyrightable works thus published on the MMC
     site.

     "CC-BY-SA" means the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
     license published by Creative Commons Corporation, a not-for-profit
     corporation with a principal place of business in San Francisco,
     California, as well as future copyleft versions of that license
     published by that same organization.

     "Incorporate" means to publish or republish a Document, in whole or
     in part, as part of another Document.

     An MMC is "eligible for relicensing" if it is licensed under this
     License, and if all works that were first published under this
     License somewhere other than this MMC, and subsequently
     incorporated in whole or in part into the MMC, (1) had no cover
     texts or invariant sections, and (2) were thus incorporated prior
     to November 1, 2008.

     The operator of an MMC Site may republish an MMC contained in the
     site under CC-BY-SA on the same site at any time before August 1,
     2009, provided the MMC is eligible for relicensing.


ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents
====================================================

To use this License in a document you have written, include a copy of
the License in the document and put the following copyright and license
notices just after the title page:

       Copyright (C)  YEAR  YOUR NAME.
       Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
       under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3
       or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
       with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover
       Texts.  A copy of the license is included in the section entitled ``GNU
       Free Documentation License''.

   If you have Invariant Sections, Front-Cover Texts and Back-Cover
Texts, replace the "with...Texts." line with this:

         with the Invariant Sections being LIST THEIR TITLES, with
         the Front-Cover Texts being LIST, and with the Back-Cover Texts
         being LIST.

   If you have Invariant Sections without Cover Texts, or some other
combination of the three, merge those two alternatives to suit the
situation.

   If your document contains nontrivial examples of program code, we
recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of
free software license, such as the GNU General Public License, to
permit their use in free software.

